Moderna Reports Promising Response Rates For Skin Cancer Combo Therapy In Resistant Patients

Core Insights - Moderna Inc. announced the presentation of clinical data for mRNA-4359 in combination with pembrolizumab for CPI-R/R melanoma at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress [1] Group 1: Clinical Data - mRNA-4359 is an investigational cancer antigen therapy targeting immune escape pathways PD-L1 and IDO1, aiming to elicit T cell responses to kill tumor cells [2] - The study involved 29 participants receiving the combination therapy at doses of 400 µg (n=14) or 1,000 µg (n=15), administered every three weeks for up to nine doses [2] - The objective response rate (ORR) across evaluable patients was 24%, while the disease control rate (DCR) was 60% [2] Group 2: Efficacy in Specific Patient Population - Among patients with PD-L1+ tumors (TPS≥1%), the ORR was significantly higher at 67% (6 of 9 participants) [3] - The treatment induced peripheral antigen-specific T cell responses and novel T cell receptor clones, with the median duration of response (DOR) not yet reached [3] Group 3: Safety Profile - The combination of mRNA-4359 and pembrolizumab demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with no new immune-related adverse events reported [4] - mRNA-4359 is also being evaluated in ongoing studies as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [4] Group 4: Additional Developments - Moderna released preliminary immunogenicity data for the 2025-2026 mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccine formula, showing over a 16-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against the LP.8.1 variant in specific age groups [5] - Following these announcements, MRNA stock rose by 3.54% to $27.78 [5]