Moderna and Merck's Combined Cancer Therapy Shows Promising Results in Melanoma Trial

Moderna and Merck have announced follow-up data from a Phase 2b study showing that mRNA-4157 (V940) in combination with KEYTRUDA demonstrated continued improvement in recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival in patients with high-risk stage III/IV melanoma following complete resection. At a median planned follow-up of approximately three years, the combination therapy reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% and the risk of distant metastasis or death by 62% compared to KEYTRUDA alone. The companies have initiated Phase 3 studies in the adjuvant setting for melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer and plan to expand to additional tumor types.