Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths all across the world. It accounts for about 1.8m deaths every year.
Doctors have begun trailing the world’s first lung cancer vaccine mRNA in patients across seven countries. This can have ground breaking potential to save thousands of lives, according to the experts. BNT116 is a vaccine developed by BioNTech and is being tested for its effectiveness in targeting and preventing them from coming back. This vaccine aims at treating the most prevalent form of lung cancer; non-small cell lung cancer. The treatment would target the cancer cells rather than the healthy ones and thus, leading to fewer side effects. It contains information about several markers found on lung cancer cells surface to teach the patient’s immune system what to find and fight.
The phase 1 trial is underway across seven countries including UK, Germany, US, Spain, Turkey, Hungary and Poland. This vaccine utilizes mRNA technology similar to Covid 19 vaccines and aims at enabling the immune system to target NSCLC tumor makers. It will work to attack the cancer cells while protecting the healthy ones. A lung cancer patient in UK becomes one of the first participants in this trial. This new BNT116 vaccine could be a game-change in the arena of lung cancer treatment.
This study will involve about 130 patients with various stages of non-small cell lung cancer, ranging from early stages before surgery to late-stage disease. It could revolutionize the way this deadly disease is treated, and possibly prevented.
“We hope this will provide an opportunity to further improve outcomes for our NSCLC patients, whether in the early or advanced stages,” Professor Siow Ming Lee, who leads the UK study, said.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your healthcare provider for any medical needs.
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