MSD and Moderna announced on Wednesday that an experimental personalized cancer vaccine jointly developed has achieved positive preliminary results in the first advanced clinical trial, bringing the application one step closer to approval for this treatment plan. The mRNA-based vaccine was used in combination with MSD's immunotherapy KeyTruda to achieve a key goal in the phase 3 trial of more than 1,100 high-risk or advanced melanoma patients, which is to significantly extend the time that melanoma does not recur in patients compared to using Keytruda alone. The treatment also reduces the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body. These results are based on positive phase II trial data from the same programme earlier this year. The phase III clinical trial will continue to evaluate other efficacy metrics, including the benefit of the treatment on the patient's overall survival. The two companies plan to release relevant data at the upcoming international medical conference, but it is currently unclear when they plan to submit a listing application to the US. MSD's stock price is now up nearly 8% before the market, and Moderna has surged more than 60%.

MSD and Moderna announced on Wednesday that an experimental personalized cancer vaccine jointly developed has achieved positive preliminary results in the first advanced clinical trial, bringing the application one step closer to approval for this treatment plan. The mRNA-based vaccine was used in combination with MSD's immunotherapy KeyTruda to achieve a key goal in the phase 3 trial of more than 1,100 high-risk or advanced melanoma patients, which is to significantly prolong the time that melanoma does not recur in patients compared to using Keytruda alone. The treatment also reduces the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body. These results are based on positive phase II trial data from the same programme earlier this year. The phase III clinical trial will continue to evaluate other efficacy metrics, including the benefit of the treatment on the patient's overall survival. The two companies plan to release relevant data at the upcoming international medical conference, but it is currently unclear when they plan to submit a listing application to the US. MSD's stock price is now up nearly 8% before the market, and Moderna has surged more than 60%.