A major clinical trial cuts risk of dying and relapsing for cancer patients.
The trial cut the risk of patients dying or their cancer returning by 42 per cent. It involved 1,137 people who had surgery to remove high risk melanoma; two-thirds were given the new vaccine on top of the immunotherapy pembrolizumab; the rest of the participants were given a placebo as well as immunotherapy.
Two years after the trial, 82 per cent of people who received the vaccine were still alive compared to 70 per cent of people who received the placebo. This is positive result, suggesting the vaccine improves survival outcomes.
Cancer vaccines have the potential to reduce tumour relapse, treat active cancer, and prevent cancer formation. This has been made possible through advances in personalised immunotherapy, more research into tumour-specific markers, and accelerations in the field mRNA vaccine technology due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Personalised medicine describes treatment tailored to an individual’s unique genetic make-up, lifestyle, and environment. The vaccine is made by comparing the sequenced genetic code of a patient’s cancer cells and healthy blood cells to determine specific mutations; mRNA molecules that code for proteins containing these cancerous mutations are then synthesised. This means the immune system can recognise the cancerous mutations more quickly and provide a stronger immune response to kill the cancer cells.
The findings from the trial have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet, and more research is required to establish the long-term outcomes of the vaccine. Professor Alan Melcher, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, warned against getting “ahead of the evidence” although the results are “very impressive.”
The personalised nature of the vaccine makes implementing it on a large scale very expensive. Drugmakers MSD and Moderna are applying to medicine regulators for approval as soon as next year after the strong results of the recent trial. Shares in the companies surged in the summer after hints at vaccine success but were then sold by investors after a smaller trial with less reassuring results. Through clinical innovation and public health resilience, the vaccine could be carried out nationwide.
By 2030, the UK Government aims to deliver 10,000 personalised vaccines. Recent experience from Covid-19, combined with our integrated healthcare system and established biomedical research centres puts the UK is in a strong position to lead, and benefit from, advancements into personalised cancer vaccines. If the motivation to collaborate, innovate and adapt clinical strategies is maintained, personalised cancer vaccines could change the future of cancer care.
