e=”text-align: center;”>Landmark Melanoma Vaccine Could Be Available in Just 2 Years
In a major breakthrough against the most serious form of skin cancer, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has announced that the company’s experimental vaccine against melanoma could be available in as little as two years. This news brings hope to the millions of people affected by melanoma worldwide. Currently, there are an estimated 325,000 new melanoma cases and 57,000 deaths from the disease each year.
Therapeutic Vaccines: Treating Rather Than Preventing
Unlike conventional vaccines that aim to prevent diseases, therapeutic vaccines treat diseases by training the body’s own immune system to fight against the disease. They represent an “immunotherapy 2.0” and hold great promise in the field of oncology, according to Bancel.
Moderna’s Experimental Vaccine Shows Promise
Moderna’s experimental vaccine has shown promising results in clinical trials. The vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which has proven highly effective against serious forms of Covid-19. In a study involving 157 people with advanced melanoma, the combination of Moderna’s vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% over a three-year period, compared to Keytruda alone. This is a significant improvement, as Moderna had already announced two-year monitoring results last year, showing a risk reduction of 44%.
The Difference in Survival Rates
Stephane Bancel points out that the difference in survival rates between the combination therapy and the best product on the market continues to grow over time. This is a remarkable achievement in the field of oncology, as one in two people treated with the Moderna vaccine survive, compared to the survival rates of other available treatments.
Seeking Early Approval
Based on the existing clinical evidence, Moderna is seeking early approval for their vaccine, currently known as mRNA-4157. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have placed the therapy on an expedited review pathway. To further validate the efficacy of the vaccine, Moderna plans to conduct a larger phase three study involving a thousand people in 2024. The results of this study could confirm the earlier conditional authorization.
Individualized Medicine Tailored Just for You
Moderna’s vaccine development process is unique as it starts with sequencing the genome of each patient’s tumor and identifying specific mutations to encode against. This individualized approach is known as “individualized” medicine and ensures that the treatment is tailored to the specific needs of each patient. This personalized approach holds great promise for the future of cancer treatment.
Preparing for Market Launch
To prepare for the market launch of the vaccine, Moderna is building a new factory in Massachusetts to ensure a plentiful supply. The FDA requires a secure supply before granting approval. Additionally, Moderna has announced the start of a phase three trial for an mRNA vaccine against lung cancer, showing their commitment to developing innovative therapies for various types of tumors. Other biotech companies, such as BioNTech, are also working on individualized therapeutic cancer vaccines, indicating a positive trend in the field of cancer research.
Pairing with Liquid Biopsies
Moderna’s CEO, Stephane Bancel, envisions the future pairing of their cancer vaccines with “liquid biopsies” – groundbreaking tests that can detect signs of tumors earlier through blood tests. This advancement in early detection is crucial for the effectiveness of Moderna’s new drugs. By detecting cancer at an early stage, treatment success rates can be significantly improved. Liquid biopsies are starting to become available in the United States, bringing new hope for early detection and treatment.
Moderna’s experimental vaccine against melanoma represents a significant step forward in the fight against skin cancer. With promising results in clinical trials and the potential for early approval, there is hope for a breakthrough in the treatment of this deadly disease. As patient-specific treatments become more prevalent, personalized approaches like individualized medicine and liquid biopsies offer new possibilities for early detection and effective treatment.
Keywords: melanoma vaccine, Moderna, therapeutic vaccines, immunotherapy, mRNA technology, clinical trials, individualized medicine, liquid biopsies, early detection, cancer treatment
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- Source: https://www.biotecnika.org/2023/12/melanoma-vaccine-could-be-available-in-just-2-years-moderna/