A DAD has become the first person to receive a personalized NHS cancer vaccine in a major new programme.
Thousands more patients are now expected to receive the next-generation experimental vaccine to stop tumor growth.
University professor Elliot Pfebve, 55, received the first of the new vaccines – which neither prevent nor cure tumors, but eliminate remaining cancer cells after surgery or chemotherapy.
The father-of-four, from Walsall, West Mids, had chemotherapy after bowel cancer was detected at a routine NHS scan in May 2023.
He said after the injection: “It was wonderful to be able to take part in something that could lead to a new way of treating cancer.”
The NHS will match patients with clinical trials for their specific tumors through its new cancer vaccine launch platform.
Infusions are tailored to match the DNA of unique tumors.
The vaccine – made by Covid vaccine maker BioNTech using similar mRNA technology – trains the immune system to fight cancer cells.
Each patient receives a DNA sample collected during treatment and a vaccine is then tailored to match the proteins found in their exact tumor.
Patients receive regular infusions for 12 months, starting with weekly treatment during a loading period, before doses are gradually reduced to biweekly and then every six weeks.
Professor Peter Johnson, from NHS England, said: “This is cutting-edge technology. . . a very important development in cancer treatment.
“Bringing analysis of the genetics of cancer cells to match someone’s tissue is really very new. We need more treatments to prevent recurrence.”
Vaccines are free on the NHS while they are in clinical trials.
BioNTech declined to comment on the market cost.
The German company has signed a deal to enroll 10,000 UK patients in cancer vaccine trials by 2030.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “These vaccine trials could one day offer us a way to save more lives.”
ANALYSIS: Preparing for the future
By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent
Cancer vaccines are an exciting prospect because they use the body’s own immune system to fight tumors, reducing collateral damage to healthy cells that poses a risk from surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
We hope this means people can be treated for longer without fear of disabling or even deadly side effects, improving their chances of survival.
Research is still at an early stage, so the number of patients who will be able to try the vaccines in the coming years will probably be small.
They will also likely be very expensive, as there is a lot of back and forth between the clinic and the laboratory, as each vaccine is adapted to each patient.
But the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad will help pharmaceutical companies study and develop vaccines, build the NHS infrastructure if they are used routinely in the future – and offer hope to patients along the way. .
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
