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Moderna (MRNA) shares surged Thursday following positive results from a mid-stage trial for its experimental cancer vaccine. The trial found the vaccine, when used in combination with Merck's (MRK) immunotherapy Keytruda, significantly reduced the risk of death or relapse for patients with advanced melanoma skin cancer.
"We are so happy for patients," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel told Yahoo Finance Live, noting the trial showed a roughly 50% survival rate, meaning one in two treated patients were able to live without a relapse.
Bancel also highlighted other vaccines in Moderna's pipeline, including its treatment for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
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Video Transcript
- All right. Well, this morning, Moderna shares are spiking. We're looking at gains of nearly 12% in today's action. This coming after the pharma giant's experimental cancer vaccine used alongside Merck's blockbuster drug, one of Merck's blockbuster drugs, cut the risk of death or relapse of the most deadly form of skin cancer after three years by nearly half. Now, this is all according to mid-stage trial data released today. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani sat down with Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel about the announcement this morning. Let's take a listen.
STEPHANE BANCEL: We are so happy for patients. You remember, we were together last year with a two year data in term of survival. And it was 44%. And now it's close to 50%. And so if you think about it, that was compared to the best drug available today, which is [INAUDIBLE] used as monotherapy. And so it means one in two people will be able to be risk free of a cancer three years out.
And the data is actually improving. 44% at two years. Now 49% at three year. And we have a lot of ideas how to even improve the technology further from new science, from manufacturing. And so I think it's a big deal for melanoma patients. We're going to work really hard to see how we can accelerate the launch in some countries, potentially as early as '25.
And then it's not only melanoma. We announced on Monday starting of phase three in lung. And we're going to have more phase three starting in 2024. So that's going to be a very big platform within Moderna.
ANJALEE KHEMLANI: Absolutely. And certainly validating the mRNA sort of platform, which is what I know the Street has been waiting for. I want to talk about also the other vaccines you have in your pipeline. We know RSV is set to launch next year. What can you tell us about that and the rest of the pipeline, including flu, which we know you had to delay a little bit.