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First UK lung cancer patient receives novel immune therapy at NIHR Clinical Research Facility

  • 23 August 2024
  • 3 min read

A lung cancer patient at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is the first to receive a novel cancer vaccine that primes the immune system to recognise and fight cancer cells. Janusz Racz, 67, from London, is the first participant in the trial (pictured).

The vaccine has been made by German biotechnology firm BioNTech. It is being trialled for the first time in the UK, with the NIHR UCLH Clinical Research Facility (CRF) as the lead research site.

This study follows the start of a similar cancer vaccine trial, also at the NIHR UCLH CRF, into an immunotherapy for melanoma. Both trials have benefitted from the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway (VIP), which played a crucial role in providing the systems and processes to optimise set up and patient recruitment. The VIP is a Clinical Trial Delivery Accelerator (CTDA) established to work with the UK health research system to speed the set-up and delivery of vaccine trials and establish the UK as a globally competitive destination for vaccine development.

How the new vaccine works

The cancer immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) uses a messenger RNA (mRNA) to present common tumour markers to the patient’s immune system. This helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer cells expressing these markers. 

The vaccine is designed to specifically enhance immune responses against targets primarily expressed by cancer cells. This reduces the risk of toxicity to healthy, non-cancerous cells. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, often affects both cancerous and healthy cells. 

UCLH consultant medical oncologist Siow Ming Lee, who leads the national study, said: “Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths in 2020. We are now entering this very exciting new era of mRNA-based immunotherapy clinical trials to investigate the treatment of lung cancer.”

Professor Lee’s research is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH.

The trial’s aims

The objectives of this study are to determine whether the immunotherapy, known as BNT116: 

  • is safe and well tolerated
  • is effective on its own at targeting tumours
  • can work with established chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatments to target tumours more effectively

The trial will be enrolling patients at different stages of NSCLC. Approximately 130 participants will be enrolled across 34 research sites in seven countries, with six UK sites selected. 

Other UK hospital sites participating in this clinical trial are:

  • Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
  • The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
  • Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Velindre University NHS Trust

Professor Karl Peggs, UCLH Director of Research and Director of the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, said: “Developing new approaches to treating cancer is a major priority for research at UCLH and within the BRC, and it’s exciting to see this first-in-human research get started at UCLH.

“We are able to do this kind of research thanks to our first-rate clinicians and research teams, our track record of working alongside industry, and our facilities and infrastructure which receive crucial support from the NIHR.”

Dr Matt Hallsworth, NIHR’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this groundbreaking study through the NIHR’s expert research facilities. It is a great example of the innovative cancer trials that are being brought to patients across the country as part of the UK Government’s strategic partnership with BioNTech. 

“We want to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of developing potentially life saving cancer treatments, which is why we have established the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway to streamline and accelerate the set up and delivery of these important trials.”

Photo credit: Aaron Chown/PA

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