Professor Georgina Long's melanoma therapy cuts recurrence risk by 42%

Professor Georgina Long led an international Phase 3 clinical trial for an experimental mRNA-based therapy for melanoma. The trial involved 1,137 patients with high-risk melanoma who had their tumors surgically removed. The therapy, intismeran autogene, combined with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 42% compared with pembrolizumab alone. The treatment is tailored to the genetic characteristics of an individual patient's tumor to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Researchers are investigating if similar mRNA approaches can treat other cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney cancers. The findings require further long-term assessment and regulatory review before the treatment can become widely available.

For Indian-origin patients and their families, this trial offers a new targeted approach to reducing melanoma recurrence risk after surgery.