Moderna and Merck slide after apparent melanoma vaccine data leak
+7 new sources since this summary was written
On Oct. 22, apparent Phase 3 results for Moderna and Merck’s personalized melanoma vaccine appeared online and were later removed ahead of a scheduled Oct. 24 presentation. The report said combining the vaccine with Keytruda reduced melanoma recurrence or death risk by 42% in a 1,137-patient trial, with 82.2% of combination patients alive and cancer-free after two years. Moderna and Merck shares fell sharply, although neither company confirmed the leaked figures.
Why it matters
The unconfirmed leak triggered a sharp repricing of Moderna and a smaller decline in Merck before the companies’ scheduled presentation. Investors now face continued uncertainty until the full trial results are formally released.
Key facts
- 1An apparent Phase 3 report was posted online and removed before the results were due to be presented at the ESMO Congress on Oct. 24. finance.yahoo.com
- 2The leaked report attributed a 42% reduction in melanoma recurrence or death risk to the vaccine combined with Keytruda versus Keytruda alone. finance.yahoo.com
- 3The INTerpath-001 trial included 1,137 patients. finance.yahoo.com
- 4After two years, 82.2% of patients receiving the combination were reported alive and cancer-free. finance.yahoo.com
Open questions
- The reported Moderna share-price decline differs across materials, with reports citing 20%, 24%, and 25%.
- Neither Moderna nor Merck confirmed the leaked trial figures before the scheduled presentation.
Summary written by AlphAI AI Desk from 10 of 10 sources. Not investment advice. Figures are as stated by the linked sources.