An Efficacy Study of Adjuvant Treatment With the Personalized Cancer Vaccine mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab in Participants With High-Risk Melanoma (KEYNOTE-942)

September 2, 2026 updated by: ModernaTX, Inc.

A Phase 2 Randomized Study of Adjuvant Immunotherapy With the Personalized Cancer Vaccine mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone After Complete Resection of High-Risk Melanoma (KEYNOTE- 942)

The purpose of this study is to assess whether postoperative adjuvant therapy with mRNA-4157 and pembrolizumab improves recurrence free survival (RFS) compared to pembrolizumab alone in participants with complete resection of cutaneous melanoma and a high risk of recurrence.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
267

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Australia
    • New South Wales
      • North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2060
        • Melanoma Institute Australia
      • Westmead, New South Wales, Australia, 2145
        • Westmead Hospital
    • Queensland
      • Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia, 4102
        • Princess Alexandra Hospital
    • Western Australia
      • Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia, 6150
        • Affinity Clinical Research
      • Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia, 6150
        • One Clinical Research Perth
      • Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia, 6008
        • St John of God Hospital Subiaco
  • United States
    • Arizona
      • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85719
        • University of Arizona
    • California
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94115
        • California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute -CPMCRI
      • Santa Monica, California, United States, 90404
        • Angeles Clinic and Research Institute
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • University of Colorado Cancer Center
    • Connecticut
      • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520
        • Smilow Cancer Center at Yale New Haven Hospital
    • District of Columbia
      • Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States, 20007
        • Lombardi Cancer Center
    • Florida
      • Orlando, Florida, United States, 32806
        • Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30342
        • Northside Hospital
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637
        • UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Dana Farber Cancer Institute
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University School of Medicine
    • New Jersey
      • Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, 07601
        • Hackensack University Medical Center
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10016
        • NYU Langone Medical Center
    • Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97213
        • Providence Cancer Institute
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37203
        • Sarah Cannon Cancer Center
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75246
        • Texas Oncology PA

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  • Resectable cutaneous melanoma metastatic to a lymph node and at high risk of recurrence
  • Complete resection within 13 weeks prior to the first dose of pembrolizumab
  • Disease free at study entry (after surgery) with no loco-regional relapse or distant metastasis and no clinical evidence of brain metastases
  • Has an formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor sample available suitable for sequencing
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0 or 1
  • Normal organ and marrow function reported at screening

Key Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior malignancy, unless no evidence of that disease for at least 5 years prior to study entry
  • Prior systemic anti-cancer treatment (except surgery and interferon for thick primary melanomas. Radiotherapy after lymph node dissection is permitted)
  • Live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of pembrolizumab
  • Transfusion of blood or administration of colony stimulating factors within 2 weeks of the screening blood sample
  • Active autoimmune disease
  • Immunodeficiency, systemic steroid therapy, or any other immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of pembrolizumab
  • Solid organ or allogeneic bone marrow transplant
  • Pneumonitis or a history of (noninfectious) pneumonitis that required steroids
  • Prior interstitial lung disease
  • Clinically significant heart failure
  • Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Known active hepatitis B or C
  • Active infection requiring treatment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab
Participants will receive up to 9 doses of mRNA-4157 (every 21 days). Participants may continue on pembrolizumab (every 21 days) until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or they undergo up to 18 total cycles (approximately 1 year of treatment), whichever is sooner.
Biological: Pembrolizumab
Intravenous infusion
Drug: mRNA-4157
Individualized Neoantigen Therapy
Active Comparator: Pembrolizumab
Participants will receive pembrolizumab (every 21 days) until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or they undergo up to 18 total cycles (approximately 1 year of treatment), whichever is sooner.
Biological: Pembrolizumab
Intravenous infusion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS), Assessed Using Radiological Imaging
Time Frame: Up to 7 years
RFS is defined as the time between the date of first dose of pembrolizumab and the date of recurrence (local, regional, or distant metastasis), new primary melanoma, or death (whatever the cause), whichever occurs first.
Up to 7 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Distant Metastasis-Free Survival (DMFS), Assessed Using Radiological Imaging
Time Frame: Up to 7 years
DMFS is defined as the time between the date of first dose of pembrolizumab and the date of the first distant metastasis or the date of death (whatever the cause), whichever occurs first.
Up to 7 years
Number of Participants With Adverse Events (AEs)
Time Frame: Baseline through 100 days after last mRNA-4157 dose or up to 90 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is later (for mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab combination arm) and up to 90 days after last pembrolizumab dose (for Pembrolizumab only arm)
Baseline through 100 days after last mRNA-4157 dose or up to 90 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is later (for mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab combination arm) and up to 90 days after last pembrolizumab dose (for Pembrolizumab only arm)
Number of Participants Who Discontinued Due to AEs
Time Frame: Baseline through 100 days after last mRNA-4157 dose or up to 90 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is later (for mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab combination arm) and up to 90 days after last pembrolizumab dose (for Pembrolizumab only arm)
Baseline through 100 days after last mRNA-4157 dose or up to 90 days after the last dose of pembrolizumab, whichever is later (for mRNA-4157 and Pembrolizumab combination arm) and up to 90 days after last pembrolizumab dose (for Pembrolizumab only arm)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
ModernaTX, Inc.

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 18, 2019

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 21, 2032

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 21, 2032

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 29, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 29, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 1, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • mRNA-4157-P201

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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