Merck Says MRNA-4157-Keytruda Combination Data Shows Improvement In High-Risk Melanoma Patients

(RTTNews) - Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Monday announced that its MRNA-4157-Keytruda combination study along with Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) demonstrated a sustained improvement in patients suffering from high-risk melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.

The study, conducted on 157 patients, found that the drug combination reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49 percent and the risk of distant metastasis or death by 62 percent compared to Keytruda alone in these patients.

Moreover, the findings showed that the 2.5-year recurrence-free survival rate of the combined drug was 74.8 percent compared to 55.6 percent for Keytruda alone.

Further, the companies announced the initiation of phase 3 MRNA-4157-Keytruda combination study for patients with resected high-risk melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

Currently, Merck's stock is moving up 1.83 percent, to $127.88 on the New York Stock Exchange.