An experimental personalized cancer vaccine from Merck and Moderna met its main goal in its first late-stage trial, extending the time melanoma patients lived without their cancer returning. Moderna's stock jumped sharply on the news, while Merck's shares rose by a smaller margin given the gap in the companies' size.
Merck and Moderna's mRNA-based cancer vaccine, given alongside Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda, met key goals in a phase three trial of more than 1,100 patients with higher-risk or advanced melanoma whose detectable cancer had been surgically removed. The companies announced the results Wednesday, marking the first data from the vaccine's initial late-stage study.
Moderna's shares soar on trial data
Moderna's stock soared about 100% in premarket trading after the announcement. Merck's shares, meanwhile, climbed more than 8%. The size of those moves reflects the companies' relative scale: Merck's market cap was around $333 billion, while Moderna's sat near $25 billion entering Wednesday.
Earlier in premarket trading, CNBC separately reported that Moderna's stock at one point soared 57%, while Merck's jumped just over 6%.
Regimen beats Keytruda alone
The combination significantly extended the time patients lived without their melanoma returning, compared with Keytruda alone, and also reduced the risk of the cancer spreading to distant parts of the body. Those results build on positive phase two trial data on the same regimen earlier this year.
According to Merck's Dr. Jane Healy, the company's head of oncology early development: "clinically meaningful improvement" over Keytruda, the standard of care for melanoma. Side effects were similar to other vaccines people typically receive for other diseases, Healy said, and the treatment was well tolerated by patients.
What comes next
The phase three study will continue to assess other outcomes, including the overall survival benefit of the regimen. Merck and Moderna plan to present the data at an upcoming international medical meeting, but it remains unclear when they will submit applications for U.S. approval.
The companies are also studying the vaccine in other tumors, such as non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma.
Sources: US Top News and Analysis, US Top News and Analysis
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