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Personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine cuts recurrence or death 42%

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 1:59 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Moderna Vaccine Cuts Recurrence

Moderna and Merck reported their personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine cut recurrence or death by 42%.
The Phase 3 trial enrolled 1,137 adults and compared vaccine plus Keytruda with Keytruda alone.
At two years, 82.2% of combination patients remained recurrence-free versus 70.0% of controls.
The regimen lowered distant-metastasis or death risk by 38% compared with Keytruda alone.
After the results leaked on Oct. 22, Moderna’s stock fell 18% to $202.63.

Summary

Moderna Shares Soar

The trial showed no recurrence benefit in the first six months, then a 58% reduction.
Moderna’s shares have surged 573% since the start of 2026, reflecting extreme market optimism.
Analysts warn individualized mRNA production may limit reliable delivery to all eligible patients.
Personalized vaccine manufacturing needs a separate batch per patient, raising scale-up cost concerns.
The high-risk melanoma cohort comprised fully resected patients, limiting immediate applicability to broader stages.

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Moderna Vaccine Cuts Recurrence

Moderna and Merck reported their personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine cut recurrence or death by 42%.
The Phase 3 trial enrolled 1,137 adults and compared vaccine plus Keytruda with Keytruda alone.
At two years, 82.2% of combination patients remained recurrence-free versus 70.0% of controls.
The regimen lowered distant-metastasis or death risk by 38% compared with Keytruda alone.
After the results leaked on Oct. 22, Moderna’s stock fell 18% to $202.63.

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