New skin cancer vaccine being trialled by the NHS can halve the risk of dying or the deadly disease returning, study finds Melanoma patients given were jab alongside immunotherapy drug Keytruda They were 49 per cent more likely to live compared to taking Keytruda alone Vaccine is custom-built for individuals using genetic make-up of their tumour By Kate Pickles, Health Editor In Chicago Published: 00:15, 4 June 2024 | Updated: 00:17, 4 June 2024 e-mail View comments A skin cancer vaccine being trialled by the NHS can halve the risk of dying or the disease returning, results show. In the longest study on the treatment yet, melanoma patients given the personalised jab alongside immunotherapy drug Keytruda were 49 per cent more likely to be alive three years later compared to those taking Keytruda alone – the current standard of care. Experts said they 'fully expect' similarly impressive results in trials of vaccines on other cancers, including breast and bowel.
Developed by pharma giants Moderna and MSD, the vaccine is custom-built for individuals using the specific genetic make-up of their tumour – giving it the best chance of a cure. Injected in patients after they have undergone surgery, it works by telling the body to hunt down cancer cells to prevent the deadly disease from coming back. The trial, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago , involved 157 patients with stage 3 or 4 of the deadliest type of skin cancer.
Melano.
