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Injectable Therapy Halves Melanoma Risk
3 Jun
Summary
- New injectable therapy shows positive melanoma reduction over five years.
- Combination therapy cut recurrence or death risk by 49% compared to one drug.
- Side effects were manageable, including fatigue and injection site pain.
A groundbreaking injectable therapy, intismeran autogene, combined with the immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA, is showing promising long-term results against melanoma. In a five-year follow-up of the KEYNOTE-942 study, this personalized mRNA cancer vaccine significantly reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% when used in conjunction with KEYTRUDA, compared to KEYTRUDA alone. The study involved 157 patients who had undergone surgery for high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma.
The combination therapy's benefits have been observed to be sustained and durable. Intismeran autogene is custom-designed using a patient's unique tumor mutations to help the immune system identify and attack cancer cells. Researchers reported that the treatment is well-tolerated, with a manageable safety profile. Common side effects included fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever, and headache, with no new long-term safety concerns or severe adverse events identified.
This combination therapy is currently undergoing further evaluation in a phase 3 study, the final stage of clinical trials. Experts highlight the therapy's potential for prolonged benefit in patients with resected high-risk melanoma, underscoring the potential of mRNA technology in cancer care. For individuals with stage 3 or 4 melanoma facing a significant risk of recurrence after surgery, this milestone demonstrates a meaningful reduction in that risk.
