US pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck today announced an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize an mRNA vaccine currently being tested in combination with a cancer drug to treat melanoma.
Moderna and Merck (or MSD outside North America) have been collaborating since 2016 to develop cancer vaccines.
Merck will pay Moderna $250 million to activate the option provided at the beginning of their collaboration and move on to the next stage and, if all goes as expected, make the drug available on the market.
Following the announcement of the deal, Moderna shares jumped 11% in New York afternoon trading.
Moderna, one of the first companies to develop an mRNA vaccine against Covid-19, believes the technique could also be used to treat influenza, HIV, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, and many forms of cancer.
The results of a phase 2 trial of an mRNA vaccine in combination with Keytruda for the treatment of melanoma are expected by the end of the year.
Source: RES-IPE
Source: Kathimerini
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