World’s First Lung Cancer Vaccine Trials Could Reveal Answers

In a groundbreaking development, lung cancer vaccine trials have commenced in seven countries, potentially transforming how this deadly disease is treated and even prevented.

Janusz Racz, aged 67, has become the first person in the UK to receive the vaccine, which is designed to combat lung cancer and prevent its recurrence.

The vaccine, known as BNT116, targets non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. Developed by BioNTech, this mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy was administered to Racz at University College London Hospital on Tuesday, August 20.

The trial is being conducted across 34 research sites in seven countries, including the UK, US, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. In the UK, six sites in England and Wales are participating in the phase 1 clinical trial. A total of 130 patients will be involved in the human trials, with 20 participants coming from the UK.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with nearly 1.8 million deaths each year. Survival rates are particularly low when tumors spread. In the UK alone, there are almost 48,500 new lung cancer cases annually, with smoking being the leading preventable cause, responsible for up to 72% of cases worldwide.

How does the cancer vaccine work?
The vaccine trains the body to seek out and destroy cancer cells, and it also works to prevent their return, according to a report by The Guardian.

Similar to the Covid-19 vaccines, this jab uses messenger RNA (mRNA). It functions by presenting the immune system with tumor markers specific to NSCLC, priming the body to fight cancer cells that express these markers.

“We are entering an exciting new era of mRNA-based immunotherapy clinical trials to explore lung cancer treatment,” said Professor Siow Ming Lee of University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust (UCLH).

He added, “The delivery is straightforward, and it allows for the selection of specific antigens in the cancer cells, making it a targeted approach. This technology represents the next major phase in cancer treatment.”