World's First Lung Cancer Vaccine Trials Begin in Seven Countries

Doctors have begun testing the world's first mRNA lung cancer vaccine on patients as experts confirmed its ‘groundbreaking’ potential to save thousands of lives.

The Guardian reports.

Experts are currently testing a new injection method that causes the body to detect and kill cancer cells and then prevents them from returning. Known as BNT116 and manufactured by BioNTech, the vaccine is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of the disease.

The aim is to boost a person's immune response to cancer while leaving healthy cells untouched, unlike chemotherapy.

The Phase 1 clinical trial, the first human study of BNT116, has been initiated at 34 research centres in seven countries: UK, USA, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Turkey.

In total, around 130 patients - from early stage before surgery or radiotherapy to terminal or recurrent cancer - will be enrolled for the injection in combination with immunotherapy.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for approximately 1.8 million deaths each year. Survival rates are particularly low in patients with advanced disease, where tumours have spread.