Doctors have begun testing the world’s first mRNA vaccine for lung cancer, known as BNT116, developed by BioNTech, across 34 sites in seven countries, The Guardian reports.
This vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to that in COVID-19 vaccines, aims to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by instructing the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. The Phase 1 trial, involving about 130 patients across 34 sites in seven countries, including the UK, US, and Germany, is assessing the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety. The trial is also testing the vaccine in combination with immunotherapy.
Janusz Racz, the first UK patient to receive the vaccine, began his treatment at the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Clinical Research Facility. The trial’s success could lead to significant improvements in survival rates for lung cancer patients and potentially make mRNA-based vaccines a standard treatment.
