World-first lung cancer vaccine trials launched across seven countries

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the world's first mRNA lung cancer vaccine, BNT116, which is being trialled in patients. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally, and the new vaccine aims to instruct the body to hunt down and kill cancer cells, while preventing their return. The phase 1 clinical trial has launched across 34 research sites in 7 countries, including the UK, and involves around 130 patients with various stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, similar to COVID-19 vaccines, to prime the immune system to fight cancer cells. Experts are hopeful that this new approach to cancer treatment could significantly improve survival rates for lung cancer patients.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Lung Cancer Vaccine Trial

1. What is the name of the new mRNA lung cancer vaccine being trialled? The new mRNA lung cancer vaccine being trialled is called BNT116, and it is made by BioNTech.

2. What type of lung cancer is the vaccine designed to treat? The vaccine is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common form of lung cancer.

3. How does the vaccine work? The vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to present the immune system with tumor markers from NSCLC, priming the body to fight cancer cells expressing these markers. The aim is to strengthen the immune response to cancer while leaving healthy cells untouched.

4. What are the key details of the phase 1 clinical trial?

• The trial has launched across 34 research sites in 7 countries: the UK, US, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey.
• The UK has 6 trial sites, located in England and Wales.
• Around 130 patients with various stages of NSCLC, from early-stage to late-stage or recurrent cancer, will be enrolled to receive the vaccine alongside immunotherapy.
• Approximately 20 of the patients will be from the UK.

[02] Patient Experiences

1. Who was the first person to receive the vaccine in the UK? Janusz Racz, a 67-year-old scientist from London, was the first person to receive the vaccine in the UK.

2. What was Janusz Racz's motivation for participating in the trial? Janusz Racz, who specializes in AI, said his profession inspired him to take part in the trial. He wanted to be part of the team that could provide proof of concept for this new methodology, so that it could be implemented more widely and save more lives.

3. What was Janusz Racz's treatment schedule? Janusz Racz received six consecutive injections of the vaccine, with each jab containing different RNA strands. He will get the vaccine every week for six consecutive weeks, and then every three weeks for 54 weeks.

4. What are Janusz Racz's hopes for the future? Janusz Racz hopes that once his treatment is over, he can get back to running and achieve his lifetime ambition of completing the London Marathon.