A successful clinical trial to treat skin cancer from “Moderna” and “Merck”

(CNN) - Moderna and Merck said that an advanced-stage clinical trial of an mRNA treatment tailored to the characteristics of each patient's tumor has succeeded in achieving its goals for treating melanoma skin cancer, in a step that may represent a major shift in cancer treatment.

The announcement, on Wednesday, led to a rise in Moderna's stock by about 160%, at a time when the company is working to diversify its product portfolio away from its anti-Covid-19 vaccine. The company recently added an influenza vaccine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, while developing experimental vaccines for diseases including norovirus infection and Lyme disease.

Analysts had indicated that the results of the cancer vaccine may constitute an important motivating factor for the company, and contribute to strengthening investor confidence, which declined after reaching its peak during the pandemic period. Barclays analysts estimated last month that the treatment would generate about $3 billion in annual melanoma revenue by 2035.

CNN's Meg Terrell details the results of the phase 3 melanoma treatment.

Both Moderna and its partner Merck reported that a clinical trial in its final stages achieved its goals in treating melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The experiment showed that the treatment reduced the risk of the cancer returning or spreading to other parts of the body in patients who underwent cancer removal surgery.

As for how this treatment works, a sample is taken from each patient's tumor, and then a personalized mRNA-based treatment is designed specifically for them. The treatment, like a vaccine, then teaches the immune system to recognize the target, and is delivered alongside an existing treatment for melanoma called Keytruda.

The two companies have not yet published the full results of the study, so we do not yet know exactly how much benefit the treatment provides. The two companies say that they will present these results during an upcoming medical conference. They add that they intend to apply for regulatory approval to treat melanoma in the coming months.

The two companies are also testing this treatment in other types of cancer, including lung, kidney and bladder cancer.

Moderna's CEO told CNN correspondent Meg Terrell that he felt that this day was as important to humanity as the day in which the company demonstrated, in late 2020, the success of its anti-Covid-19 vaccine, and described it as "a new chapter in cancer treatment."