Milestones
- Phase 2: 44% lower risk of cancer return or deathDec 2022Complete.
- Phase 3 starts enrollingJul 2023Complete.
- Five-year Phase 2 data: 49% lower riskJun 2026Complete.
- Phase 3 meets its goals19 Aug 2026Complete.
- Filing with regulatorsNowCurrent milestone.
Most important updates
- 2d ago
- 19 Aug 2026
- Feb 2024
- 6 Apr 2023
- 22 Feb 2023
Current obstacles
- A custom batch per patientEvery dose is designed and made for one person, so the tumor-to-vial time must be fast at scale.
Physics limits
- Tumours with few mutations offer few targetsMelanoma carries many mutations, so there is plenty to target. Many cancers carry only about one mutation per million DNA letters, leaving few neoantigens for a vaccine to aim at.
- Most predicted targets don't trigger an immune responseOnly a small share of predicted neoantigens are actually displayed and recognised by T cells. Prediction from sequence alone remains imprecise.
- Cancers evolve to hide from T cellsTumours can lose the molecules (HLA) that display targets, or build suppressive surroundings. Immune pressure selects for the cells that escape.
How it works
Read
Sequence tumour and blood
DNA from the patient's tumour and healthy blood is sequenced to find mutations that only the cancer carries.
Pick
Choose up to 34 targets
Software predicts which mutant protein pieces immune cells are most likely to see, and picks up to 34 of them.
Make
One mRNA per patient
A single mRNA encoding those pieces is made and packed in fat bubbles, then injected alongside Keytruda, which releases the immune brakes.
Update log
Thu 8 Oct
- Major: PressPartnership
Wed 19 Aug
- Major: PressTest
Feb 2024
- Minor: PaperResearch
Thu 6 Apr 2023
- Minor: PressRegulatory
Wed 22 Feb 2023
- Minor: PressRegulatory
About Moderna
Moderna
mRNA vaccines, personal cancer vaccine
US mRNA company whose COVID vaccine Spikevax was one of the first two mRNA products ever cleared. It sells RSV and newer COVID vaccines and, with Merck, is building a personal mRNA cancer vaccine that passed Phase 3 in melanoma in 2026.
- Aug 2026: its cancer vaccine plus Keytruda met Phase 3 goals, cutting melanoma return and spread after surgery.
- Revenue fell sharply after the pandemic, forcing cost cuts while it builds new vaccines and cancer drugs.
- Founded
- 201016 yrs
- Headquarters
- United States
- Status
- Public
- Listed
- MRNA (opens google.com)NASDAQ
- Valuation
- public
- Works in
- BiotechmRNA medicines
- Coverage
- 2 programs · 9 updateslatest 2d agochecked 25 Sep
- Partners
- Merck & Co. (opens merck.com)