A UK lung cancer patient has become one of the first to take part in a pioneering trial of the world’s first vaccine against the disease.
A patient from the United Kingdom is one of the first Europeans to participate in a groundbreaking global trial of lung cancer vaccine. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, responsible for approximately 1.8 million deaths in 2020.
Of these, almost a quarter of a million people – around 230,700 – are from the EU alone, accounting for almost one in five cancer deaths in the region.
The vaccine, called BNT116 and developed by BioNTech, uses messenger RNA technology (mRNA) – similar to some COVID-19 vaccines – to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
This vaccine, a pioneer in the world, is designed to combat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)which constitutes 85% of all lung cancer cases. It works by presenting the patient’s immune system with information about common tumor markers associated with NSCLC.
This specific targeting aims to destroy cancer cells minimizing damage to healthy cellsunlike the effects of chemotherapy.
“The strength of the approach we are taking is that the treatment is highly targeted against cancer cells. In this way, we hope to be able to demonstrate over time that the treatment is effective against lung cancer without affecting other tissues,” said Dr. Sarah Benafif, head of the study.
In this pioneering study will involve around 130 patients with NSCLC at different stages, from early stages before surgery or radiotherapy to advanced stages of the disease, in 34 research centers in seven countries.
As well as the UK, the trial is being carried out in four other European countries –Germany, Spain, Poland y Hungary-, as well as in USA y Türkiye.
“We hope this will give us the opportunity to continue to improve outcomes for our NSCLC patients, whether they are in early or advanced stages,” said Professor Siow Ming Lee, who is leading the UK study.
A “revolutionary” vaccine for hope
Janusz Racz, a 67-year-old scientist from London, is the first UK participant to receive the new experimental vaccine. Diagnosed with lung cancer in May, Racz began receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy soon after.
In a recent statement, it was shown hopeful that the vaccine would help defend against cancer cellsadding: “I also thought that my participation in this research could help other people in the future and help make this therapy more widely available.”
Racz, who specializes in artificial intelligence (AI), noted that his scientific training encouraged him to participate in the trial. “As a scientist that I am, I know that science can only advance if people agree to participate in programs like this. I work in artificial intelligence and I am open to trying new things. My family also researched the trial and supported me to participate,” she said.
Dame Cally Palmer, national cancer director for NHS England, said testing cancer vaccines could be “revolutionary” in preventing the reappearance of the disease by vaccinating individuals against their own cancers.
“A cancer diagnosis is very concerning, but access to pioneering trials – along with other innovations to diagnose and treat cancers earlier – provides hope,” Palmer said.
“We hope that thousands more patients will participate in the trials in the coming years.”
