Moderna cancer vaccine shows positive results in melanoma trial

Moderna said its personalized mRNA cancer vaccine reduced the risk of melanoma returning or spreading in a late-stage trial. The vaccine was tested with Merck’s Keytruda, an immunotherapy treatment, compared with Keytruda alone.

The companies said the treatment could be available as soon as next year if regulators approve it. Because the vaccine is tailored to each patient, producing it on a large scale could be difficult. The results sent Moderna shares sharply higher, with the stock rising as much as 160%.