Biotech bets on tough cancer targets finally yield breakthrough therapies

In late August, Moderna announced that its personalized melanoma vaccine achieved impressive late-stage trial results, driving its stock up dramatically. Shortly after, the FDA approved an oral prostate-cancer medication from Revolution Medicines that employs a molecular-glue mechanism to address mutations considered undruggable. Neither product is a cure, but both offer new options alongside standard treatments.

The breakthroughs trace back to high-risk investments by chemist Greg Verdine, who raised $125 million to target the RAS mutation, and former Moderna chief medical officer Tal Zaks, who backed the vaccine concept with a $450 million partnership with Merck. Their persistence has opened a new therapeutic landscape for cancers such as melanoma, prostate, and potentially others under ongoing trials.