Thousands of patients to trial 'landmark' personalised cancer jab
ITV News' Midlands Correspondent Ben Chapman reports on the scientific breakthrough.
Thousands of NHS patients are expected to receive personalised jabs to fight cancer, as part of a new trial.
It comes after a man with bowel cancer became the first person in England to be treated with the jab, in what health chiefs are calling a "landmark moment".
The treatment is designed to stimulate a patient's immune system after surgery to remove tumours so it can recognise and attack remaining cancer cells. It works by looking for specific mutations in a patient's tumour, allowing clinicians to use the information to create a personalised treatment.
The cancer vaccine is based on something called mRNA technology, which is the same technology used for the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid vaccine.
Elliot Pfebve, 55, was first diagnosed with the disease after a routine health check with his GP.
After a 30cm tumour was removed from his large intestine, he was referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for chemotherapy and to take part in a clinical trial.
The father-of-four, who is a higher education lecturer, said: “Taking part in this trial tallies with my profession as a lecturer, and as a community-centred person.
“I want to impact other people’s lives positively and help them realise their potential.
“Through the potential of this trial, if it is successful, it may help thousands, if not millions, of people, so they can have hope and may not experience all I have gone through. I hope this will help other people.”
The trial that Mr Pfebve took part in is one of several that will be taking place at NHS trusts across the country.
It forms part of NHS England’s Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, which is working to fast-track patients to get vaccines at the earliest opportunity.
People who wish to take part will have a blood test and tissue sample taken. If they are eligible, they will be referred to the nearest NHS hospital involved in the scheme.
Thirty hospitals in England are signed up to the initiative, with more to join in the coming months.
According to NHS England, the scheme will work with a range of pharmaceutical companies and could expand to include patients with other cancers such as pancreatic and lung cancer.
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Dr Victoria Kunene, a consultant clinical oncologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and principal investigator for the trial, said: “The investigational cancer vaccines are based on mRNA and are created by analysing a patient’s tumour to identify mutations specific to their own cancer.
“Using this information, we can create an individualised investigational cancer vaccine, but it is too early yet to say if these will be successful, though we are extremely hopeful.
“Based on the limited data we currently have of the in-body response to the vaccine, this could prove to be a significant and positive development for patients, but more data is yet needed and we continue to recruit suitable patients to the trial to establish this further.”
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at the NHS, said: “We know that even after a successful operation, cancers can sometimes return because a few cancer cells are left in the body, but using a vaccine to target those remaining cells may be a way to stop this happening.”
Trials have enrolled dozens of people, NHS England said, with the majority expected to take part from 2026 onwards.