Intismeran plus pembrolizumab improves recurrence free survival in resected high risk melanoma

Prof Georgina Long speaks to ecancer about the phase III INTerpath-001 trial, which evaluated the personalised mRNA-based neoantigen therapy intismeran autogene combined with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone as adjuvant treatment for patients with resected stage IIB–IV melanoma.

Among 1,137 patients, the combination significantly improved recurrence-free survival, reducing the risk of recurrence or death by 42%, and distant metastasis-free survival, reducing the risk of distant metastasis or death by 38%.

At 24 months, recurrence-free survival was 82.2% with intismeran plus pembrolizumab compared with 70.0% with pembrolizumab alone.

Prof Long says the combination was generally well tolerated, although grade 3 or higher adverse events were slightly more frequent.

These findings highlight the potential of personalised neoantigen therapy to improve outcomes in high-risk melanoma following surgery.