NHS skin cancer vaccine halves risk or dying or disease returning, study shows Developed by pharma giants Moderna and MSD, the vaccine is custom-built READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the pioneering cancer vaccine By Kate Pickles Health Editor In Chicago and Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline Published: 22:00, 3 June 2024 | Updated: 22:00, 3 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, new results show. In the longest study on the treatment yet, melanoma patients given the personalised vaccine alongside the immunotherapy drug Keytruda were half more likely to be alive three years later. The risk of cancer returning and death dropped by 49 per cent compared to patients who were just taking Keytruda alone, which is the current standard of care.
Experts said they 'fully expect' similarly impressive results in trials of cancer 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 makeup of their tumour — giving it the best chance of a cure. Your browser does not support iframes.
Injected in patients after they have undergone surgery, it works by telling the body to hunt down cancer cells and prevent the deadly disease from coming back. The trial involved 157 patients with stage 3 or 4 of the deadliest type of skin cancer, with findings presented at the Ame.
