Stock Market Today, Aug. 19: Moderna Skyrockets 177% on Positive Phase 3 Melanoma Data
Today, Aug. 19, 2026, Moderna's personalized cancer vaccine met its late-stage goal, with the company and Merck planning an FDA submission.
Overview
Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), an mRNA medicine and preventive vaccines provider, closed at $174.38, up 176.97%. Shares surged after Moderna and Merck reported positive Phase 3 melanoma data. Investors are watching for FDA plans and further developments for the treatment. Trading volume reached 185.1M shares, coming in about 1,819% above its three-month average of 9.6M shares. Moderna IPO'd in 2018 and has grown 838% since going public.
S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) rose 0.21% to 7,708, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) gained 0.16% to 26,331. Among biotechnology names focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of mRNA-based therapies and preventive medicines, BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) closed at $113.12, up 21.96%, while Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) closed at $28.25, up 3.69%.
Details
Today, Moderna's market cap rose from $25 billion to $69 billion as the company announced positive Phase 3 data from a trial pairing its intismeran autogene with Merck's KEYTRUDA melanoma treatment. This was Moderna's first individualized neoantigen therapy (INT), and it delivered meaningful improvements for patients compared to KEYTRUDA alone.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.