Moderna is one of the hottest stocks of the year because of its custom cancer treatment. Full Phase 3 data are set to be revealed this weekend. Moderna’s audacious bet that it can transform cancer treatment with customized mRNA technology is getting closer to reality.
The biotech company, already a household name for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, is now betting that the same mRNA technology can revolutionize the way melanoma and potentially other cancers are treated. On Saturday, researchers are set to present the full Phase 3 data for Moderna and Merck’s experimental therapeutic cancer vaccine at a high-profile medical conference in Madrid. The companies have already said that the study met primary and secondary endpoints, but they haven’t shared details of how long patients stayed cancer-free.
How to invest in the AI data-center buildup through bonds Play video: How to invest in the AI data-center buildup through bonds > ‘It’s a first-in-class approach that is hopefully going to change the world.’ > — Janice Mehnert, Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health It’s the most anticipated clinical-trial readout this week, notably because the conference organizers — the European Society of Medical Oncology —scheduled the presentation for the Presidential Symposium, which is reserved for medical studies that change the standard of care. Don’t Short Yourself offers weekly money tips to help you earn it, stack it and grow it. I would like to receive updates and special offers from Dow Jones and affiliates.
I can unsubscribe at any time. That kind of talk is thrilling to investors. Moderna’s stock has soared 284% since the companies announced in August that the trial was a success, and it’s one of the top performers in the S&P 500 this year.
But Wall Street analysts and oncologists, including NYU’s Mehnert, still want to see all the data to understand how much better the combination of the therapeutic vaccine and Keytruda is than Keytruda alone. Patients undergo surgery to have their tumor removed. Scientists sequence the tumor to identify mutated proteins, which are also called neoantigens, and then create an mRNA strand using up to 34 of the neoantigens that they believe will produce the best immune response.
The whole process takes about six weeks. Keytruda was the world’s top-selling drug for years and is still on track to bring in about $32 billion in sales this year. The companies shared information on the trial’s success on Aug. 19, reigniting interest in Moderna’s mRNA technology.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
