Moderna, a $54 billion pharmaceutical maker, saw its shares surge 170% after a press release announcing a “pivotal” mRNA melanoma therapy, despite providing no detailed trial data.
Investor Reaction Drives Rally
Investors ignored the lack of peer‑reviewed results and bought the stock on the implied promise of a breakthrough.
CEO Stéphane Bancel declared the findings a “pivotal moment for cancer research” and said the data showed “transformative potential” in the adjuvant melanoma setting.
Critics Demand Full Data
Medical analyst Maryanne Demasi warned that real progress requires a large, randomized Phase III trial with hard endpoints such as survival, not a press release.
She noted that until Moderna and partner Merck release detailed results, the claim remains “science by press release.”
Original COVID Trial Undermines Hype
The 2020 COVID vaccine trial enrolled 43,500 people and recorded eight cases in the vaccinated group versus 162 in the placebo group, yielding a reported 95% effectiveness.
Absolute risk reduction was only 0.1%, and the trial measured symptomatic cases for a short period, not infection or transmission.
Four times more adverse events occurred in vaccinated participants, and the number needed to vaccinate to prevent one severe case was about 9,200.
Market Mechanics Fuel the Surge
Analysts say the rally reflects investor belief that the market will reward the company with higher valuations, not that a cure has been found.
The press release itself cautioned that forward‑looking statements are not promises and that actual results may differ materially due to unknown risks.
While the mRNA platform received emergency authorization, its track record includes limited efficacy and safety concerns, prompting skepticism about any claim of a cancer cure.
The author’s views do not represent The Epoch Times.
