NHS England is to fast-track patients with head and neck cancer on to a clinical trial for a new vaccine, using mRNA technology to train the immune system to fight cancerous cells, it has announced.
Head and neck cancer is a general term to describe forms of the disease in those regions of the body, and can include cancer of the mouth, throat or voice box. The Independent reports aggressive forms are difficult to treat, with high rates of recurrence and two-year survival rates under 50%.
The vaccine used in the study has been designed to create two proteins that are commonly found in head and neck cancers associated with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
These squamous cell cancers develop from flat, scale-like cells in the outer layer of the skin and other areas of the body.
More than 100 patients with advanced forms of the disease will be matched to the trial, known as AHEAD-MERIT (BNT113), which will run at 15 hospitals over the next year.
NHS England has joined forces with BioNTech to help identify potentially eligible patients to refer to NHS hospitals running the trial, which is the third to be run through the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, and supported by the Cancer Research UK-funded Southampton Clinical Trials Unit.
Tamara Kahn, CEO at Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK, said the trial “offers crucial hope to those living with advanced stages of cancer”.
“While we advocate for HPV vaccination to prevent these cancers, those already fighting this devastating disease urgently need new treatments that could mean more time with loved ones,” she added.
The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad – a partnership between NHS England, the government and BioNTech – has already helped refer about 550 patients to trials for vaccines for bowel and skin cancers.
Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “The Cancer Vaccines Launch Pad is an important route to fast-track promising mRNA vaccine technology into clinical trials.
“Research into personalised cancer treatments is vital. There are more than 200 different types of cancer and it’s unlikely there will ever be a single cure that works for everyone.
“That’s why it’s vital we support a wide range of research, so that more people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
The Independent article – ‘Game-changing’ cancer vaccine trial to begin on NHS (Open access)
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