Moderna Shares Surge After Merck Melanoma Vaccine Success

Moderna's stock price surged as much as 160 percent this week after the Cambridge biotech and partner Merck reported success in a melanoma vaccine trial, wiping out an estimated $5 billion in short-seller bets, according to multiple financial outlets. The rally was easily the biggest Cambridge-connected story of the past day, overshadowing a quiet stretch at City Hall.

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS

"Moderna's 160% Surge Burns Shorts in 'Painful' $5 Billion Loss," Bloomberg reported. Moderna shares roughly doubled in a short span, inflicting billions in losses on investors who had bet against the Cambridge company, according to the outlet (read it at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/moderna-s-160-surge-burns-shorts-in-painful-5-billion-loss).

"Moderna and Merck shares surge after melanoma vaccine success," according to Financial Post. Shares in both companies jumped after they announced encouraging trial results for a jointly developed melanoma vaccine designed to prevent the cancer's return, the outlet reports (read it at https://financialpost.com/investing/moderna-merck-shares-surge-melanoma-vaccine-success).

"Harvard Reaches $53M Settlement In Body Parts Scandal As Buyer Is Sentenced," per Patch. The settlement over the theft and sale of human remains from Harvard's medical school morgue now includes a prison sentence for the buyer at the center of the scheme, Patch reports, with seven other defendants already sentenced in related cases (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/cambridge/harvard-reaches-53m-settlement-body-parts-scandal-buyer-sentenced).

"Coalition sues to block rule limiting foreign students to four-year stays," The Washington Post reports. A coalition of universities and advocacy groups filed suit against a new federal rule that would cap how long international students can stay enrolled, a fight with direct stakes for Cambridge's campuses, according to the Post (read it at https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/08/18/coalition-sues-block-new-rule-limiting-stays-foreign-students-others/).

COMING UP

Cambridge's deadline to register to vote in the Sept. 1 state primary is Saturday, Aug. 22, with online registration open until 11:59 p.m. that day, according to the city. Vote-by-mail ballot applications are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The city's deadline to apply for open seats on the Commercial Parking Control Committee, the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship, and the Police Review and Advisory Board is Friday, Aug. 21. Overnight paving in Central Square begins Sunday, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. and is expected to run until about 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. Danehy Park's free Tuesday evening concert series continues through the summer.

Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.