A new mRNA vaccine to reduce the risk of melanoma returning is showing great promise. Dr. Katherine Chang, an assistant professor of ear, nose and throat surgery at LSU Health Shreveport, says the vaccine being developed by Merck and Moderna works by removing the melanoma tumor, test it for genetic mutation and create an mRNA vaccine specific to that patient’s genetic profile – and that vaccine is taken with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda.
“Both agents together; the goal is that the immune system is really ramped up to recognize the cancer and really kill the cancer and prevent it from coming back,” Chang explained.
Dr. Chang says clinical trials of the new vaccine have been very successful.
“With the vaccine, and immunotherapy afterwards for patients that had more advanced disease, that they had much less rates of recurrence and cures were higher in the long term,” Chang noted.
Merck and Moderna plan on filing for approval from regulators within months, although the specific timeline remains unclear. Dr. Chang says if this vaccine does achieve final approval, it could be a game-changer, especially in states like Louisiana.
“We’re hoping that even in these advanced cases of melanoma, which are common in older patients and in the South where there are tons of sun exposure, that this will no longer be a death sentence,” Chang said.
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