Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) and Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) experimental cancer vaccine, when used in combination with Merck’s blockbuster therapy Keytruda, reduced the risk of death or relapse in patients with the most deadly form of skin cancer by half after roughly three years, according to midstage trial data released Thursday.
The vaccine could win regulatory approvals and launch in some countries as early as 2025, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told reporters on Thursday.
Shares of Moderna jumped $12.54, or 16%, to $91.14, soon after the open on Thursday, while Merck’s stock slid 99 cents to $105.35 following the data release.
The combination specifically slashed the risk of death or recurrence of the cancer, known as melanoma, by 49% in patients in later stages of the disease compared to those who received Keytruda alone after three years. The cancer vaccine in combination with Keytruda also reduced the risk of melanoma spreading to other parts of the body by 62%.
Those results build on midstage trial data the companies released earlier this year, which showed the efficacy of the combination in the same patients over a shorter period. After around two years, the vaccine and Keytruda cut the risk of death or relapse by 44% in melanoma patients, and reduced the risk of the cancer spreading in the body by 65%, according to the earlier trial data.
