Start emphasis UK begins trial of first lung cancer vaccine
The world’s first vaccine against lung cancer, called BNT116, began to be applied in the experimental stage in the United Kingdom. Created by the BioNTech laboratory, the vaccine uses the same mRNA technology that was used in the vaccine against COVID-19.
Janusz Racz, aged 67, was the first patient to take part in this phase of the study, receiving six consecutive injections of BNT116 at the UCLH Clinical Research Facility at the National Institute for Health Research last Tuesday (20).
Each syringe contained genetic material targeted at different parts of the tumor, with the aim of training 5 billion immune system cells.
Doctors say the treatment is more precise than chemotherapy, avoiding accidental damage that affects healthy cells and can cause devastating effects. Racz said the process was painless and less invasive than chemotherapy, a treatment she found difficult.
He expressed confidence that if the new vaccine comes into production quickly, it will help not only him but others as well.
Around 130 patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, are willing to take part in the pilot study. Six hospitals in the UK are involved in the process.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, responsible for approximately 1.8 million deaths annually. Survival rates are particularly low for patients with the advanced form of the disease, when the tumor has spread.
Phase 1 clinical trials, the first human study of BNT116, were launched at 34 research centers in seven countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. The vaccine teaches the body to identify and eliminate cancer cells, preventing their return.
The mRNA works by presenting the immune system with tumor markers, preparing the body to fight cancer cells expressing these markers. The goal is to strengthen the immune response to cancer while preserving healthy cells, unlike chemotherapy.
Siow Ming Lee, consultant oncologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who is leading the UK trial, highlighted that the treatment is easy to perform and can target specific antigens on cancer cells, making it the next major step in treating the disease.
Lee, who has been researching lung cancer for 40 years, said that, in the beginning, few people believed in the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Currently, approximately 20% to 30% of stage 4 patients survive on immunotherapy, and it is hoped that mRNA vaccines may improve these survival rates.
Lee hopes the vaccine will pass phases 2 and 3 of clinical trials and become the global standard of care, saving many patients.
Prior trials of similar vaccines in other types of cancer have shown promise, with reductions in tumor size and risk of recurrence. This is the first time BioNTech’s vaccine has been tested on humans, and the trial will check for important side effects.
Based on the results, doctors intend to adjust the vaccine to increase its clinical effectiveness.
Raz, who is a scientist specializing in artificial intelligence, revealed that his profession motivated him to participate in the trial, understanding that scientific progress, especially in medicine, depends on voluntary participation in such research.
