First personalised cancer vaccine cuts risk of disease returning in major trial

A new personalised cancer vaccine given alongside a widely used immunotherapy drug has cut the risk of patients dying or their skin cancer returning, the BBC reports.

In the trial, 1,137 adults with melanoma who had already had their tumours removed through surgery were given Keytruda, an established immunotherapy drug. About two-thirds also received an experimental vaccine, with the rest given a placebo.

The vaccine, called Intismeran, uses the same mRNA technology as some Covid jabs. It is personalised to each patient, using information from their own tumour to train their immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. Two years after starting treatment, patients who received the jab were far less likely to see their cancer return, according to the report.

Researchers involved say the results could mark a turning point in cancer treatment, bringing personalised medicine a step closer. Drug makers MSD and Moderna say the same approach is already being tested against other types of cancer, and both companies said they were "engaging with authorities", suggesting they could file for approval.

Independent cancer experts called the results impressive but said longer-term studies were still needed. Professor Alan Melcher of the Institute of Cancer Research in London said it was an important proof of principle but cautioned against assuming the approach would work across all cancers. The full results, due to be presented at a cancer conference in Madrid on Saturday, have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.