UK patient first to receive new lung cancer vaccine

A 67-year-old lung cancer patient, Janusz Racz, has become the UK’s first recipient of a new experimental vaccine designed to help his body combat the disease. He received six syringes of the vaccine, each containing genetic material from different parts of the tumour, aimed at training five billion cells in his immune system to attack the cancer.

Developed by BioNTech, the vaccine, named BNT116, uses the same mRNA technology as their successful COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors believe it will target cancer cells more precisely than chemotherapy, reducing collateral damage to healthy cells and minimising side effects. “It’s painless,” Mr Racz commented after his first injection. “It’s much better than chemo, which was hard for me.”

University College London Hospital (UCLH) has started the UK phase of a global trial, with about 130 non-small cell lung cancer patients participating across six UK hospitals. Mr Racz expressed his hope that the vaccine would not only help him but also accelerate production for broader use. “COVID vaccines helped millions of people. This will also help millions of people,” he stated. A former marathon runner and mountain climber, he remains optimistic about his future, aiming to run the London marathon within three years.

The disease

Cancer often evades the immune system, but this vaccine marks tumour cells as threats, prompting the body to destroy them. Early trials with similar vaccines have shown promise in reducing tumour size and recurrence risk. This marks the first human trial of the BioNTech jab, aiming to identify any significant side effects before larger studies confirm its clinical effectiveness. Over 12 months, volunteers will receive multiple doses to continually boost their immune response.

Dr Sarah Benafif, leading the clinical trial at UCLH, has high hopes for the vaccine. “We already have some data that this is quite a well-tolerated type of vaccine,” she said. “We hope in time we are able to show that the treatment is effective against lung cancer whilst leaving other tissues untouched.”

Non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of lung cancer, is often linked to smoking. Many patients receive an advanced-stage diagnosis, making treatment less effective, with only about a quarter surviving five years. This trial uniquely includes patients with early-stage disease who haven’t yet had surgery or radiotherapy, as well as those with advanced or recurrent cancer.

Lung cancer worldwide

Professor Siow Ming Lee, an oncologist at UCLH and clinical lead for the UK part of the study, highlighted the urgent need for new treatments. “You’ve got 1.8 million deaths worldwide from lung cancer, many in the developing countries,” he said. “Hopefully we can start with our first generation of mRNA vaccine, and then roll it out to the rest of the world.”

The NHS has begun screening older smokers for lung cancer to detect cases early. Symptoms like a persistent cough, chest pain, and fatigue should prompt a doctor’s visit. NHS England national cancer director Dame Cally Palmer emphasised the potential impact: “If we are successful, they could be revolutionary in vaccinating people against their own cancers to prevent the cancer recurring after their initial treatment.”

Hospitals across the country, in collaboration with universities and industry partners, are exploring ways to harness the immune system to treat various cancers. Access to groundbreaking trials and other innovations offers hope to cancer patients, with thousands more expected to participate in trials in the coming years.