Factbox: Moderna-Merck melanoma vaccine leads race for first therapeutic cancer vaccine

Moderna

19/08/2026 15:46

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Moderna's MRNA.O personalized mRNA cancer therapy, developed with Merck MRK.N, reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence and distant spread in a late-stage trial when used in combination with Keytruda. The results could pave the way for the first approved therapeutic cancer vaccine.
Below is a list of major cancer vaccine candidates currently in clinical trials globally:

Company
Vaccine name
Stage of development
Vaccine Details
Moderna and Merck
mRNA-4157 (V940)
Late-stage
It uses mRNA technology tailored to the genetic profile of a patient's tumor and is administered alongside the immunotherapy drug Keytruda to help prevent recurrence in melanoma and lung cancer.
IO Biotech IOBTQ.PK, IOBT.O and Merck
Cylembio 
Late-stage
The company is testing the vaccine, in combination with Merck's Keytruda, in patients with advanced melanoma.
Greenwich LifeSciences GLSI.O
GLSI-100
Late-stage
The vaccine to prevent breast cancer from returning in patients who have already undergone surgery. It targets the HER2/neu protein, which is commonly expressed on breast cancer cells.
OSE Immunotherapeutics OSE.PA
Tedopi
Late-stage
The vaccine works by teaching the immune system to recognize five specific proteins commonly found on cancer cells and is aimed at patients with advanced lung cancer who have stopped responding to standard treatments.
BioNTech SE 22UAy.DE and 
Roche-Genentech ROPC.S
Autogene Cevumeran (BNT122)
Mid-stage
This vaccine is custom-made for each patient to train immune cells to hunt down and destroy remaining cancer cells after surgery for pancreatic, colorectal, and skin cancers.
BioNTech SE
BNT113
Mid-to-late stage
This mRNA vaccine works by teaching the patient's immune system to recognize and attack specific viral proteins on head and neck cancer cells linked to the HPV16 virus.
Elicio Therapeutics ELTX.O     
ELI-002
Mid stage
It works by targeting lymph nodes to train the body's T-cells to identify and destroy pancreatic and colorectal cancer cells driven by KRAS gene mutations, aiming to prevent recurrence after surgery.
Anixa Biosciences ANIX.O and Cleveland Clinic 
Breast Cancer Vaccine (Alpha-lactalbumin)
Early-stage
This preventive vaccine typically active only during lactation, training the immune system to destroy early-stage triple-negative breast cancer cells before a tumor can grow.

 (Reporting by Kamal Choudhury and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
 ((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;))