Lead idea
mRNA cancer vaccine succeeds in Phase III melanoma
The discussion presented the positive Phase III results for Moderna and Merck's personalized mRNA cancer vaccine (Intismeran) combined with Keytruda as a breakthrough, marking the first successful cancer vaccine after over a thousand failed trials. Moderna CEO St (Moderna CEO) argued it on a16z Podcast’s “Inside Moderna’s Personalized Cancer Vaccine”, aired 2 September 2026. The guest argued that the combination therapy showed a significant improvement in recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival over Keytruda alone, with Phase II data showing around 80% of patients disease-free after five years.
A16Z PODCAST · “Inside Moderna’s Personalized Cancer Vaccine” · 1W AGO