Historic success in the world of oncology: Moderna's personalized mRNA cancer vaccine reduced the risk of recurrence by 42 percent

A historic scientific achievement has been announced that will radically change the future of cancer treatment in the world of oncology, immunotherapy, molecular biology and public health. Phase III clinical trial data conducted by biotechnology giants Moderna and Merck documented that a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine increased survival rates in fatal melanoma cases.

Data leaked before the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and then officially confirmed by the companies revealed that the vaccine reduced the risk of cancer recurrence by 42% when used with the immunotherapy drug containing the active ingredient pembrolizumab.

The personalized mRNA vaccine called "Intismeran" was applied to patients whose tumors were surgically removed rather than preventing the disease from occurring, but who had a high risk of cancer recurrence.

In the treatment protocol, DNA and RNA sequencing is performed with biopsy samples taken from each patient's tumor. Protein structures called "neoantigens", which are formed as a result of mutations in cancerous cells, are detected. When the personalized mRNA vaccine is injected into the body, the immune system is commanded to recognize these neoantigens. Thus, white blood cells target and destroy tumor cells carrying the same mutation.

Clinical trial leader Prof from the Australian Melanoma Institute. Dr. Georgina Long reported that the study was conducted with 1,137 patients in 157 different medical centers. Stating that they targeted situations in which immunotherapy alone was insufficient in advanced melanoma patients, Long declared that the combination treatment did not cause any serious side effects during the 25-month follow-up period.

Experts emphasize that even a 10% risk reduction in oncology is considered a great success, while a 42% reduction is revolutionary in the history of medicine.

Despite exciting clinical results, technical barriers remain to the global deployment of personalized mRNA vaccines. Geneticist Seth Cheetham from the University of Queensland states that producing a vaccine specific to each patient is time-consuming and extremely costly.

It takes weeks to take a tissue sample from the patient, send it to laboratories in Massachusetts, perform genetic sequencing, and produce the personalized vaccine and deliver it to the hospital. While it has been reported that cancer recurred in some cases while the vaccine was still in the production phase, researchers are working on new methods that will speed up the logistics processes.