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accidentAn experimental cancer vaccine, which is used in combination with merckKeytruda reduces the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer spreading to other parts of the body in a clinical trial, midstage reports. trial Results published Monday.
The trial found that Moderna’s cancer vaccine reduced the risk of skin cancer spreading to other parts of the body or dying by 65% ​​in patients with stage 3 or 4 of the disease compared to patients who received Merck immunotherapy alone.
Moderna and Merck will present the data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conference in Chicago at 5 p.m. ET.
The clinical trial included 157 patients whose cancer had been surgically removed.
Patients in the treatment group received a 1-milligram injection of the Moderna vaccine every three weeks for nine total doses and a 200-milligram intravenous Keytruda infusion every three weeks for about a year.
Skin cancer is responsible for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. The rate of skin cancer has risen rapidly over the past few decades, according to Society.
About 100,000 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States this year, and nearly 8,000 people are expected to die from the disease, according to the Society.
The data published Monday is the latest promising finding from Moderna and Merck.
The companies published data in April showing that Moderna’s cancer vaccine in combination with Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrent skin cancer by 44% compared to patients who received Merck’s immunotherapy alone.
The Food and Drug Administration gave Moderna and Merck an Outstanding Therapeutic designation in February, which aims to speed development and review of treatments for serious and life-threatening diseases.
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