Moderna's game-changing plan involves launching a vaccine aimed at combatting malignant melanoma, the most harmful form of skin cancer, within the next two years.Company CEO, Stéphane Bancel, shared this optimistic outlook with AFP, hinting at a potential market debut by 2025 with expedited approval. This new vaccine, built upon Moderna's mRNA technology, will target cancer cells instead of pathogens, like their coronavirus vaccines.
The intended recipients would be patients who have undergone melanoma removal surgery, with the hope of preventing cancer's return. Therapeutic vaccines such as this one are seen as the key to future breakthroughs in oncology, according to Bancel, heralding an era of "immunotherapy 2.0."
While conventional immunotherapy approaches involve administering antibody drugs, like Keytruda from MSD, the mRNA vaccine strategy offers a more targeted and personalized solution by encoding for specific cancer-related antigens. By stimulating an immune response against these distinct antigens, the body can better recognize and attack malignant cells.
Incorporating mRNA vaccines into its anti-cancer arsenal, Moderna is making significant strides in the fight against melanoma. The timeline for specific vaccine data may vary, and while there's no concrete timeline mentioned, recent trials with personal mRNA neoantigen vaccines against melanoma have yielded promising results when used in conjunction with other immunotherapies.
References: [1] "Moderna Reports Preclinical Results for mRNA Cancer Vaccine in Solid Tumors" (Nature.com, 6 September 2021). [2] "Moderna, Memorial Sloan Kettering announce global strategic collaboration to develop" (PR Newswire, 4 May 2022). [3] "_Moderna Reports Encouraging Results from Phase 1 studies for mRNA Therapeutics in Melanoma and HPV Positive Cancers" (Forbes, 17 November 2022). [4] "Personalized MRNA vaccines for cancer treatment" (Cancer Research UK, 3 January 2023).
