An individualized mRNA cancer therapy passed a Phase 3 trial for the first time
Moderna and Merck announced on August 19, 2026 that intismeran autogene, an individualized mRNA therapy, combined with Merck's Keytruda, met its primary endpoint in the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial. The trial covered 1,137 patients with surgically removed stage IIB-IV melanoma and showed significantly longer recurrence-free survival than Keytruda alone, plus a win on the key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival. Each dose is built from the mutations of that specific patient's tumor, encoding up to 34 targets per person. It is the first positive Phase 3 result for any individualized neoantigen therapy and for any mRNA-based cancer treatment. Moderna's stock rose about 10 percent.