Harbour Cancer & Wellness medical oncologist Dr Gareth Rivalland recently joined RNZ’s Saturday Morning to discuss a breakthrough in melanoma treatment: a personalised mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck that has helped people with high-risk melanoma live longer, cancer-free.
Dr Rivalland explained that immunotherapy works by helping the body’s own immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Drugs like Keytruda and Opdivo have already transformed outcomes for advanced melanoma, which had very few effective treatments when he began training in the mid 2000s. The new vaccine builds on that foundation. It maps the unique mutations in a patient’s tumour and teaches the immune system to target them directly, working alongside existing immunotherapy to make treatment more precise.
Around 40 New Zealanders took part in the global trial, which Dr Rivalland described as having "lived up to the hype." He also stressed that prevention and early detection remain the best protection, particularly given New Zealand’s high UV exposure and melanoma rates.
Read the full interview on RNZ or listen below:
Posted: 5 Nov 2026
