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Cancer Vaccines Show Near Halving of Melanoma Deaths
1 Jun
Summary
- Melanoma vaccine reduced death risk by 49% over five years.
- Brain cancer vaccine increased survival by nearly one year.
- Head and neck cancer drug showed a 42% overall response rate.
Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting 2026 highlights significant progress in cancer vaccines. A personalized melanoma vaccine, intisomeran, developed by Moderna and MSD, demonstrated a 49% reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence and death over five years when used with Keytruda. This combination therapy also showed a 59% reduction in distant metastasis and significantly improved overall survival.
In brain cancer research, Dana-Farber's personalized neoantigen vaccine, NeoVax, in combination with Keytruda, extended median overall survival by 11.6 months for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients. These findings suggest potential benefits for various challenging cancers.
Furthermore, Johnson & Johnson's Rybrevant Faspro achieved a 42% overall response rate, with over a third of responders experiencing complete responses, in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. These developments signal a promising future for cancer treatment strategies.
