What's Going On With Moderna Stock Monday?

Moderna Inc MRNA shares are trading higher Monday after the company presented data with Merck & Company Inc MRK showing mRNA-4157 in combination with KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to KEYTRUDA alone in patients with stage III/IV melanoma.

What Happened: Moderna and Merck announced results from a Phase 2b trial evaluating mRNA-4157, an investigational individualized neoantigen therapy, in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA. 

In the overall intention-to-treat population, mRNA-4157 and KEYTRUDA showed a statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival and reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to KEYTRUDA alone. 

"The profound observed reduction in the risk of recurrence-free survival suggests this combination may be a novel means of potentially extending the lives of patients with high-risk melanoma. We look forward to starting the Phase 3 melanoma trial soon and expanding testing to lung cancer and beyond," said Kyle Holen, senior vice president, head of development of Therapeutics and Oncology at Moderna. 

The FDA and EMA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation and the PRIME scheme for mRNA-4157, respectively. Additional data is expected to be shared in an upcoming medical meeting.

See Also: EXCLUSIVE: Ocean Biomedical Bags $134M Backing For Innovative Research and IND Fillings

MRNA Price Action: Moderna shares were up 1.42% at $159.33 at time of publication, according to Benzinga Pro.

Photo: Mufid Majnun from Pixabay.