When Merck and Moderna reported promising late-stage trial results in August for adding an mRNA cancer vaccine to immunotherapy, the data described group-level outcomes. At the STAT Summit in Boston, patient Gary Keblish offered a different view: what the experimental treatment felt like from the inside.
Keblish, a public school teacher, was diagnosed with high-risk melanoma in 2019. After referrals, he met oncologist Jeffrey Weber at NYU Langone and was selected for the trial of intismeran autogene, the mRNA vaccine, combined with Keytruda. He described the experience as a ride on "The Magic School Bus," full of emotional and physical changes.
The hardest part was neuropathy, which narrowed his emotional bandwidth and made daily life difficult. With support from his family and medical team, he made a conscious decision to recover. Six years after his tumor was removed, he is back teaching and says he is thrilled to have received the treatment.