The worldʼs first personalized injectable mRNA drug for the treatment of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma, is being tested on British patients.
British media BBC, Sky News and The Guardian write about it.
The injections are designed individually for each person so that the drug helps the immune system recognize and destroy any remaining cancer cells.
The mRNA-4157 (V940) vaccine uses the same technology as current coronavirus vaccines and is in the final stages of Phase III trials. It is conducted under the leadership of the University College London (UCLH) NHS Hospitals Foundation.
The second phase of the study showed that the injection significantly reduced the risk of cancer recurrence in melanoma patients.
One of the first patients to test the new vaccine was 52-year-old Steve Young, who had a melanoma tumor removed from his scalp last August. An injection is personalized for him that matches the unique genetic signature of his tumor and works by telling the body to produce proteins or antibodies that attack markers or antigens found only on those cancer cells.
Steve Young.
Trial coordinator Dr Heather Shaw said the injections could cure people with melanoma, but were also being tested in other cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney cancer.
"This is one of the most interesting things weʼve seen in a very long time. It is truly a finely honed instrument. Patients are really delighted with the injections. This is a very individual therapy and in a certain sense it is much smarter than a vaccine,” added the doctor.
The third phase of the global trial will involve about 1 100 people. The British branch plans to attract at least 60-70 patients.
- In the US, an AI-based device was approved to detect three common types of skin cancer — melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
- The World Health Organization predicts that the number of cancer cases in the world will increase by 77% by 2050.