CHICAGO — Moderna and Merck have reported encouraging results from a late-stage clinical trial testing a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine alongside Keytruda, their immunotherapy treatment, in patients with melanoma.

The companies said the combination successfully met the trial's key goals, sending Moderna shares sharply higher in premarket trading on Wednesday.

The vaccine is designed to use mRNA technology to create a personalized treatment based on characteristics of an individual patient's tumor. Researchers are studying whether this approach can help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

The results add to growing interest in mRNA technology beyond infectious diseases, with researchers exploring its potential applications in cancer treatment.

Further regulatory steps and additional data will be important before the treatment could become broadly available to patients.

The trial marks another significant development in the race to develop personalized cancer therapies and could strengthen the role of mRNA technology in future oncology treatments.