Several healthcare stocks are trending on Wednesday night after popping earlier in the regular session.
mRNA Names Cool Off After Explosive Session
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) shares fell 4.65% to $166.26 after the bell. The biotech stock cooled off an intraday gain of 176.97% to $174.38, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) also dropped 0.46% to $151.50 in after-hours trading. The drop follows an intraday surge of 12.60% to $152.20.
Merck, Moderna Report Landmark Phase 3 Cancer Therapy Results
The moves came as Merck and Moderna announced positive Phase 3 results from the INTerpath-001 trial before the market opened Wednesday. The two companies have jointly developed intismeran autogene, an individualized mRNA-based cancer therapy, since 2016. The therapy is custom-built using a patient’s own tumor sample to generate a targeted immune response.
The trial evaluated intismeran in combination with KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 immunotherapy already approved for adjuvant treatment of resected Stage IIB, IIC, or III melanoma.
The combination significantly improved recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival compared to KEYTRUDA alone. This is the first positive Phase 3 result reported for an individualized neoantigen therapy and for an mRNA-based cancer therapy.
The trial enrolled 1,137 patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma. The study will continue to evaluate additional endpoints, including overall survival.
Trending Peers Also See After-Hours Action
BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) shares dipped 0.55% to $112.50 after hours, following a regular session jump of 21.96%. BioNTech is also developing mRNA-based individualized cancer therapies, placing it in the same treatment category as Merck and Moderna’s intismeran autogene.
Tempus AI Inc. (NASDAQ:TEM) slipped 0.41% to $61.00 after hours, cooling off from a 24.09% intraday gain. Tempus AI provides genomic sequencing and precision-oncology data used to match cancer patients to targeted therapies, a category that includes individualized neoantigen treatments like intismeran.
Crispr Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) fell 0.15% to $59.72 after hours, following a 12.91% intraday rise. Crispr Therapeutics develops gene-editing therapies, including cancer treatments, placing it in the broader biotechnology and cell/gene therapy sector alongside Moderna.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) also eased 0.50% to $28.10 after hours. Pfizer’s muted move reflects its more indirect exposure to Wednesday’s news. The company co-developed the Comirnaty mRNA COVID-19 vaccine with BioNTech and continues to partner with it on updated formulations, but unlike Moderna and BioNTech, Pfizer does not have its own late-stage mRNA-based cancer vaccine program.
Stock Perfromance
| Stock | Market Cap | 52-Week Range | YTD Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderna | $69.62 Billion | $22.28 – $176.66 | +465.07% |
| Merck | $375.50 Billion | $77.58 – $153.50 | +42.98% |
With strong Momentum in the 95th percentile, Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MRNA has a positive price trend across all time frames.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: pcruciatti / Shutterstock
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