: Merck and Moderna launch late-stage trial of V940 with Keytruda as treatment for high-risk melanoma

Merck & Co. MRK and Moderna Inc. MRNA said Wednesday they have launched a Phase 3 trial of Moderna’s V940 in combination with Merck’s Keytruda as a treatment for patients with high-risk, or Stage IIB-IV melanoma. The trial is the first Phase 3 study of a planned comprehensive clinical development program being initiated following positive data from a Phase 2 trial that was reported at two cancer conferences, AACR and ASCO, earlier this year. Global recruitment has begun and the first patients are being enrolled in Australia, the companies said in a joint statement. Some 1,089 patients are expected to be enrolled at 165 sites in over 25 countries. “The primary endpoint of the study is recurrence-free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoints include distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and safety,” said the companies. Merck’s stock was slightly lower premarket, while Moderna’s was up 1%.

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