<\/u>Combination of mRNA vaccine and pembrolizumab significantly prolongs recurrence-free survival versus pembrolizumab alone<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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MONDAY, April 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) — For patients with completely resected, high-risk cutaneous melanoma, the novel mRNA-based cancer vaccine (mRNA-4157) combined with pembrolizumab results in improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared with pembrolizumab alone, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held from April 14 to 19 in Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n
Adnan Khattak, M.B.B.S., from Hollywood Private Hospital in Nedlands, Australia, and colleagues randomly assigned eligible patients with completely resected, high-risk cutaneous melanoma to receive mRNA-4157 in combination with pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab alone (107 and 50 patients, respectively).<\/p>\n
The researchers found that recurrence or death was reported in 22.4 and 40 percent of patients in the combination and monotherapy arms, respectively, at a median follow-up of 101 and 105 weeks. In the combination and monotherapy arms, the 18-month RFS rates were 78.6 and 62.2 percent, respectively. Protocol-defined statistical significance and clinically meaningful improvement in RFS was seen with the combination versus pembrolizumab, with a 44 percent reduction noted in the risk for recurrence or death. The number of patients reporting treatment-related grade 3 or higher adverse events was similar between the arms (25 and 18 percent for combination and monotherapy, respectively); fatigue was the most common mRNA-4157-related grade 3 event.<\/p>\n
“Our phase 2b study shows that a neoantigen mRNA vaccine, when used in combination with pembrolizumab, resulted in prolonged time without recurrence or death compared with pembrolizumab alone,” a coauthor said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Moderna and Merck, which are jointly developing and commercializing mRNA-4157\/V940. <\/p>\n
Press Release<\/a><\/p>\n