UK patients test new mRNA melanoma vaccine

The world’s first personalized mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma, which might also help with lung, bladder, and kidney cancers, is being tested in the UK. This “game-changing” vaccine teaches the body to find and destroy cancer cells, preventing the disease from returning. It’s custom-made for each person in just a few weeks.

A stage 2 trial by Moderna and MSD showed it significantly reduced the risk of melanoma coming back. Now, a final phase 3 trial is underway, led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).

Dr. Heather Shaw, the trial’s national coordinator, said this vaccine is one of the most exciting developments in a long time. It has the potential to cure melanoma and is being tested for other cancers too. She compared it to offering patients a gourmet meal instead of fast food, highlighting its precision and technical sophistication.

One of the first trial patients, Steve Young, 52, from Stevenage, was diagnosed with melanoma after a bump on his head turned out to be cancer. He was very interested in the trial, especially the mRNA technology, and is hopeful it will stop his cancer.

The vaccine works by triggering the immune system to fight the specific type of cancer and tumor in each patient. Data from the phase 2 trial, published in December, showed that patients with high-risk melanomas who received the vaccine with MSD’s Keytruda were almost half as likely to die or have their cancer return after three years compared to those who only received Keytruda.

The phase 3 global trial aims to recruit around 1,100 people, including 60 to 70 patients in the UK across eight centers. The vaccine, known as mRNA-4157 (V940), targets markers on the tumor that the immune system can recognize, activating an anti-tumor response based on the unique mutations in each patient’s cancer.

To make the vaccine, doctors take a sample of the tumor during surgery. They then use DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence to create a personalized anti-cancer vaccine specific to the patient’s tumor.

Dr. Shaw explained that this treatment is very individualized and smarter than a regular vaccine. It’s custom-made for each patient, so it wouldn’t work for someone else. Each tumor has unique markers, making the vaccine truly personalized. The goal is to cure the patient’s cancer.

Dr. Shaw believes this could be a game-changer in immunotherapy. They have been looking for something to add to existing treatments that can be life-changing but with fewer side effects. This new therapy seems promising.

Side effects include tiredness and a sore arm, similar to a flu or COVID jab, making it quite tolerable for most patients.

Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick said this is one of the most exciting developments in modern cancer therapy. Combining a personalized cancer vaccine with an antibody to boost the immune response has shown great promise in patients whose melanoma has been removed. Interest in cancer vaccines has grown due to better understanding of immune responses and the development of mRNA vaccines. The hope is to extend this approach to other cancers like lung and colon cancer.

References British patients test world’s first personalised MRNA cancer jab for melanoma | The Independent.