Moderna shares rose about 9% during trading on 9 October after reporting about a planned public-private cancer-vaccine initiative involving the NIH, Yahoo Finance reported. A December launch was expected, not confirmed. Separately, Merck and Moderna announced positive Phase 3 melanoma results on 19 August for experimental intismeran combined with Keytruda, compared with Keytruda alone.

Moderna shares rallied following reports of a new cancer-vaccine initiative, drawing investor attention to the company’s mRNA technology and its potential applications beyond infectious diseases. The development renewed interest in Moderna’s oncology pipeline, although investors will be watching for further details on the programme, clinical progress and potential commercial opportunities.