Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital was among the medical centers in Israel that participated in Moderna and Merck's groundbreaking Phase 3 trial of a personalized mRNA-based vaccine against melanoma • Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Director of the Clinical Research Unit at Hadassah Oncology Institute, explains the significance of the results and the hope for creating immune memory that may help prevent the disease from returning over time
A significant breakthrough in cancer research, with Israeli involvement, including that of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital: Moderna and Merck announced positive results in a phase 3 trial of personalized treatment against melanoma, based on mRNA technology.
This is the first time that a personalized cancer treatment based on technology has achieved positive results in a large-scale trial at this stage.
The international trial, which involved more than 1,100 high-risk melanoma patients after the tumor was surgically removed, was also conducted in Israel. Hadassah Ein Kerem was among the four Israeli hospitals that participated in the study, along with Beilinson, Sheba and Emek.
Israel was one of the first countries to launch the study, and dozens of Israeli patients received the new treatment. Unlike a regular vaccine that is produced identically for a broad population, this is a treatment that is specifically designed for each patient.
After the tumor is removed, its genetic sequencing is performed, which allows the identification of the mutations unique to the cancer cells. Based on this information, a personalized mRNA therapy is created for the patient, designed to "teach" the immune system to recognize the unique characteristics of the tumor and act against cells carrying them.
The treatment was given in combination with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. According to the initial results published by the companies, the combination achieved the study goals and resulted in a significant improvement in preventing disease recurrence and reducing the risk of distant metastases, compared to treatment with Keytruda alone.
Dr. Jonathan Cohen, director of the clinical research unit at the Oncology Institute at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, addressed the significance of the breakthrough. According to him, one of the key promises of the technology is the possibility of creating long-term immune memory: the immune system not only attacks cancer cells during treatment, but may also remember their characteristics and continue to identify them later, thus helping to protect against the recurrence of the disease for years.
The implications may be far broader than melanoma. The same concept of tailoring treatment to the unique genetic characteristics of the tumor is already being tested in clinical trials for other types of cancer, including lung cancer and other malignancies.
While the full data from the Phase 3 trial is still expected to be published and reviewed, and a process with regulatory authorities will be required later, the current results mark a significant step towards the possibility that mRNA technology, which became known worldwide thanks to the coronavirus vaccines, will also become a key tool in personalized oncology medicine.
