Australian scientists are leading a breakthrough in a world-first cancer vaccine, which has shown signs of drastically reducing the risk of melanoma coming back after surgery.
The Australian-led Phase 3 trial of the vaccine, developed by Moderna and Merck, found the risk of melanoma returning two years after surgery was reduced by 42 per cent, compared with patients who were given access to only pembrolizumab (sold as Keytruda), an immunotherapy drug.
At the centre of the landmark trial is former Australian of the Year Georgina Long, who was awarded the title alongside the late Richard Scolyer in 2024.
All 1100 participants in the trial had previously undergone surgery to remove the melanoma tumour, and had been placed on the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.
Two-thirds of those in the trial were then given the tailor-made mRNA treatment, while the remaining were placed on a placebo.
Results from the study found that 82 per cent of the participants given a combination of both treatments were melanoma-free, compared to 70 per cent of those given only pembrolizumab.
The breakthrough vaccine is personalised for each patient, with the treatment created using a sample of their tumour.
The data of the tumour is then used to analyse and map the mRNA therapy.
“Unlike a traditional vaccine that prevents disease in healthy people, this is a therapeutic vaccine, meaning it is designed for people who already have cancer, to help stop the cancer coming back,” Professor Long told NewsWire in August.
She said the mRNA vaccine findings were a “meaningful step forward” for patients in fear the melanoma will return after surgery.
“Even after surgery to remove a melanoma when it has spread to lymph nodes and distant parts of the body, there is always a risk that the cancer can return,” she said.
“These results show that adding intismeran to pembrolizumab, a type of immunotherapy, significantly reduces the risk of the cancer coming back compared to pembrolizumab alone.”
Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel told Reuters the impact of the trial was “very profound”.
“With this ability to create new T cells that are specific to your tumour … the clinical impact is very profound, and as we saw in the Phase 2 (trial), very lasting,” he said.