Cancer vaccine breakthrough at Moderna raises hopes for Scancell's melanoma programme

What Brokers Say Health Written by: Ian Lyall 15:02 Thu 20 Aug 2026 --> Proactive has a commercial relationship with Scancell Holdings PLC. This article was produced independently under Proactive's Editorial Standards Policy . Disclaimer No investment advice About this content Editorial Standards & Policies Share article About this content × About Ian Lyall Ian Lyall, a seasoned journalist and editor, brings over three decades of experience to his role as Managing Editor at Proactive. Overseeing Proactive's editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, Ian is responsible for quality control, editorial policy, and content production. He directs the creation of 50,000 pieces of real-time news, feature articles, and filmed interviews annually. Prior to Proactive, Ian helped lead the business output at the Daily... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. Scancell Holdings PLC ( AIM:SCLP OTC:SCNLF ) View Price & Profile Cancer vaccine breakthrough at Moderna raises hopes for Scancell's melanoma programme Published: 15:02 20 Aug 2026 BST A landmark trial success for Moderna and Merck's cancer vaccine has strengthened the case for Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF, FRA:SCP) , the immuno-oncology company developing a rival melanoma treatment, according to one broker covering the sector's innovative small-caps. Merck and Moderna said on Wednesday that their phase III INTerpath-001 trial of intismeran autogene, an mRNA-based cancer vaccine, met its endpoints in patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma. The therapy, given alongside Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda, delivered statistically significant improvements in recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival compared with Keytruda alone. It is the first time positive phase III data have been obtained for an mRNA-based, individualised neoantigen therapy in cancer. Panmure Liberum, the broker, described the result as an encouraging step for the wider cancer vaccine field and said it boded well for Scancell's own melanoma candidate, iSCIB1+. The read-across is simple (even if the science isn't). Put in plain language, both treatments train the immune system to attack tumours, though the two vaccines differ sharply in design. Intismeran is manufactured individually for each patient using a sample of their own tumour, a personalised approach that Panmure Liberum expects to command a high price. Scancell's iSCIB1+ works through a similar mechanism but is an off-the-shelf product that is simpler to produce, a distinction that could give it a cost advantage if it reaches the market. Scancell secured clearance from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency this month to begin a global phase III registrational trial of iSCIB1+, following earlier approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. The company is expected to start that study in the second half of 2026. Scancell agreed an all-share merger with Nasdaq-listed Neuphoria Therapeutics in July, a deal designed to secure up to $89 million of financing and fund the phase III trial into 2029. Its shares have fallen well below the 52-week high of 29.5p reached in May. Continue reading