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Drug Development
Progress in the Development of mRNA Vaccines Against Cancer

The pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck report that they have made an important progress in the development of mRNA-based vaccines against cancer. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal.

– I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a new area of ​​research, says Merck's head of oncology Jane Healy.

The companies have published preliminary results from a phase 3 study, in which 1137 high-risk patients with malignant melanoma are participating. The experimental group has received the mRNA vaccine together with immunotherapy and the control group only immunotherapy. Both the primary goal of reducing the risk of relapse and the secondary goal of preventing spread have been achieved.

It is the first successful phase 3 study of a personalized cancer treatment based on mRNA, after decades of research.

Specific details from the study will be presented at a conference later this year.

North Korea-US relations
Trump: North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons

North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, says US President Donald Trump according to AFP.

– He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should never have let that happen. But he has them. I get along very well with him, says Trump about North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.

Trump also says that he will meet Kim later this year. North Korea has not confirmed this. 

Middle East crisis  Gaza war
Israel builds gallows with spectator seats

Israel is building a gallows to hang Palestinians convicted of terrorism. The facility has spectator seats for the victims' families, writes The Telegraph.

The construction is shown off by Israel's far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a video.

– We are making history. Terrorists deserve only one thing: hanging, he says.

Earlier this year, the Knesset passed a law that makes the death penalty the standard for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. The law de facto does not apply to Israeli citizens. 

Helicopter crash in Kenya – intelligence chief dead

Six tourists and a pilot have died in a helicopter crash in Kenya, AFP reports.

One of the dead is Ecuador's intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi, the country's transport minister said, according to TT. His wife also died.

The other five people on board were American citizens.

According to local authorities, no one survived the crash. The purpose of the helicopter trip was to see Mount Ololokwe, which is popular with tourists.