Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel speaks with a16z General Partner Jorge Conde about the readout of Moderna and Merck's individualized mRNA cancer vaccine trial in melanoma.
“So indeed last week now we shared the news with our colleagues at Merck that after working 10 years on the individualized treatment against cancer using mRNA technology, that the phase three was positive.”
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More from Stéphane Bancel
AssertionPartly supported
Bancel: Moderna's mRNA shot is the first cancer vaccine that works
“Here it's the first time there is a cancer vaccine working. The field, as you know, has been doing that for 20 plus years. I think more than a thousand clinical trials that have all failed.”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 3:31Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
AssertionSupported
Bancel: Moderna's mRNA vaccine is first melanoma agent outperforming Keytruda alone
“It's the first time that there is an agent In melanoma that is better than Ketudra alone.”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 3:22Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
AssertionSupported
Bancel: Moderna Phase 3 trial met primary and secondary endpoints at first interim analysis
“What we announced last week is that we met the primary End point of a study, which was recurrence-free survival, i.e. People having the cancer back or dying, that we met, and then to our own surprise, because this was the first interim analysis. This is not th…”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 3:42Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
Disclosure
Bancel: Moderna's Massachusetts factory is ready for individualized manufacturing at scale
“The factory is ready in Massachusetts, but we have figured out how to make and scale a product for every human being at the time.”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 5:36Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
AssertionSupported
Bancel: Moderna trial data showed 90% of cancer antigens differ across patients
“And what we showed at ASCO and we published from a phase two study, but we believe it's the same thing in the phase three, because it's mechanistic, is that around 99 zero percent of the antigen are different patient to patient.”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 14:35Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Bancel: Current cancer vaccine is the worst version medical history will ever see
“Well, it's exactly the same for Intismaran, which is the current version of Intismaran that Moderna is the worst version of Intismaran you're going to see for the rest of medical history.”
Stéphane BancelSep 2, 2026▶ 17:36Inside Moderna’s Biggest mRNA Test Since COVID
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