New Delhi: BNT116, a vaccine developed by BioNTech is being tested to determine its effectiveness in targeting and eliminating cancer cells, and preventing them from coming back. This vaccine aims to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most prevalent form of lung cancer.
The phase 1 trial for BNT116 is underway at 34 sites across seven countries, including the UK, US, and Germany. The first UK patient received the vaccine this Tuesday. Around 130 patients, including 20 from the UK, will receive BNT116 combined with immunotherapy, targeting various stages of lung cancer. Using mRNA technology similar to COVID-19 vaccines, BNT116 aims to enable the immune system to target NSCLC tumour markers, attacking cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Lung cancer is the top cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for around 1.8 million deaths annually. Survival rates are especially low in the advanced stages of the disease, where the cancer has spread.
Janusz Racz, a 67-year-old AI scientist from London, was the first UK patient to receive the vaccine. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in May and starting chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he chose to join the trial. “As a scientist, I understand that medical progress depends on study participants,” Racz told The Guardian.
Racz received six injections, each with different RNA strands, over 30 minutes at the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Clinical Research Facility. He will continue receiving the vaccine weekly for six weeks, followed by treatments every three weeks for over a year.
“We’re entering an exciting new era with mRNA-based immunotherapy for lung cancer,” University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), Professor Siow Ming told The Guardian.
Prof Siow Ming Lee, a consultant medical oncologist at the University College London Hospitals NHS foundation Trust (UCLH), which is leading the trial in the UK, said the goal is to prevent lung cancer from returning, which often happens even after surgery and radiation. “I’ve studied lung cancer for 40 years. In the 1990s, chemotherapy was doubtful. Now, we know that 20–30 per cent of stage 4 patients survive with immunotherapy. We hope this mRNA vaccine will further boost survival rates,” he said.
The trial is part of a broader UK effort to fast-track patients into innovative cancer vaccine trials through a new NHS “matchmaking” scheme. This programme helps eligible patients access potentially life-saving treatments.
