"I was like, ‘OK, well, let’s see if you can fight,’ and he couldn’t"
— The Philadelphia woman who took down a masked would-be assailant and won the internet’s heart.
Science
A New Frontier for Cancer Treatment
What’s going on: In late 2020, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine showed how mRNA technology could be used to treat other illnesses. That list now potentially includes melanoma. On Wednesday, Moderna and Merck released the results of a late-stage experimental cancer vaccine trial that shows how their newly developed mRNA vaccine can act as a kind of tailored cancer therapy. It does this by teaching tumor cells in patients' bodies how to attack the cancer. The trial included 1,100-plus individuals, who already were undergoing treatment and had tumors removed. And results were quite positive: Patients lived longer without any melanoma recurrence and were less likely to see existing cancer spread.
That’s good, right?: While other trials have tried the same approach with different cancers, Moderna-Merck’s is the most advanced. One pediatric oncologist who was not involved in the trial summed it up to The New York Times: “It’s a big deal.” The news is also making waves financially. After losing $2.8 billion in 2025, Moderna could eventually be back in the black with its new cancer vaccine. Following yesterday’s news, Moderna shares more than doubled, and Merck’s stock soared more than 10%. Last month, one analyst believed the therapy could generate $3 billion by 2035 from treating melanoma. On the heels of its flu vax getting the green light by the FDA, Moderna hopes this new cancer treatment could be next.
