, Columnist
Cancer Vaccine Hunt Makes Progress, Finally
A small study shows promise in deploying mRNA technology against melanoma, but fighting tumors is vastly more complex than tackling Covid.
Tougher than Covid.
Photographer: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
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The long-awaited cancer vaccine revolution is getting a little closer to reality. New data from Moderna Inc. and Merck & Co. suggest that after decades of failures, researchers are finally figuring out the right way to design a vaccine that can teach immune cells how to recognize and combat tumors.
Earlier this month, the companies said that when used in concert with Merck’s cancer immunotherapy Keytruda, Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine reduced the risk of certain skin cancers from returning or patient deaths by 44% compared with Keytruda alone.