Merck, Moderna detail potential skin cancer vaccine progress

The Associated Press

Shares of Merck and Moderna jumped early Tuesday after the drugmakers said a potential skin cancer vaccine they are developing using the same technology behind COVID-19 preventive shots did well in a mid-stage study. The drugmakers said a combination of the vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda led to a statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival time in patients with phase 3 or 4 melanoma who had the tumors removed. That combination was compared with Keytruda alone. The companies say the patient group that took the combination saw a 44% reduction in the risk of death or the cancer returning.