The Longevity Reality Radar
46 approaches, rated by evidence.

mRNA-4157 melanoma vaccine

Individualised neoantigen therapy (intismeran autogene, mRNA-4157/V940) — melanoma. Cancer. Reviewed Sep 2026.

Phase 3 beat Keytruda alone on recurrence, but only a press release exists, hazard ratios are unpublished and overall survival is immature.

Stage
Phase 3, positive topline
Rung: In human trials. Phase 1 to 3. Being tested in people now. Most will not make it.
Evidence grade
B
Phase 3 unpublished
Randomised human data on surrogate markers, or consistent large cohorts. How grades work.

What it is

A Moderna/Merck personalized mRNA therapy — a synthetic mRNA coding for up to 34 of the patient's own tumor neoantigens — given alongside the checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) after melanoma surgery, to train the immune system against that specific tumor's mutational 'fingerprint'.

The evidence

Phase 3 INTerpath-001 (NCT05933577; 1,137 patients, completely resected stage IIB-IV cutaneous melanoma, randomized 2:1) met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) at a pre-specified interim analysis — statistically significant and clinically meaningful vs Keytruda alone, with no new safety signals (Merck/Moderna topline announcement, 19 Aug 2026). Honest caveats: this is a topline press release — the actual Phase 3 hazard ratios have not been released yet (full data to be presented at an upcoming medical meeting; regulatory filings planned), and overall survival is still immature (the trial continues). Supporting Phase 2b (5-yr KEYNOTE-942 data, ASCO 2026): 49% lower risk of recurrence or death (HR 0.51 [95% CI 0.294-0.887]) and 59% lower risk of distant metastasis or death (HR 0.411 [95% CI 0.200-0.843]) vs Keytruda alone.

What you can do today

Outside a registered clinical trial, this is not something you can responsibly get. If it is relevant to you, the route is a trial: ask your specialist, or search a trial registry such as ClinicalTrials.gov for studies you may qualify for.

Sources

Change history

19 Aug 2026

Intismeran autogene (mRNA-4157) for melanoma moved up: Phase 3 met its primary endpoint.

Topline press release only. Hazard ratios have not been published and overall survival is immature. Stage reflects the trial result, not the strength of the public data.

Related

More in Cancer

All 9 in Cancer.

  • Pelareorep for pancreatic cancerGrade C, response rates only. Phase 3, pancreatic cancer.Response rates in later-line settings beat the approved comparator, but that is not randomised survival data and the Phase 3 has not reported.
  • mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancerGrade C, small early trial. Phase 1/2, pancreatic cancer.Nearly 90% of patients whose immune system responded were alive up to six years later in a small early trial, and randomised survival results have not been reported.
  • CAR-T for solid tumoursGrade C, early responses. Phase 1/2.Encouraging early responses in gastric and some childhood tumours, but it is not curative for most solid cancers.
  • Creatine and cancer immunotherapyGrade D, mouse study. Preclinical.Improved anti-tumour immune signalling in mouse melanoma and has not been tested in people with cancer.
  • CRISPR-Cas12a2 for p53 cancersGrade D, lab only. Preclinical, lab only.Selectively killed p53-mutant cells in the lab, and nobody yet knows how to deliver it to every tumour cell in a living body.
  • Ivermectin for cancerGrade D, case reports. Preclinical, case reports.Lab and mouse data plus uncontrolled case reports, no controlled human trial, and self-treating melanoma risks a fatal delay.