A groundbreaking clinical trial of a new melanoma vaccine that is said to be personalised and unique to each patient is now underway in the UK. Called mRNA-4157 (V940), the vaccine uses the same mRNA technology as the current Covid-19 vaccines. This cutting-edge vaccine is being tested in the final phase III trials, offering remarkable hope for treating the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Like current mRNA vaccines, the melanoma vaccine is designed to work by prompting the body to produce antibodies that can recognise and fight the tumour. The vaccine is unique to each patient, as it’s created to match the genetic signature of the patient’s own tumour. That means it’s highly intricate and tailored precisely to each patient’s needs.
The vaccine is also being given alongside another drug, Keytruda, produced by Merck Sharp and Dohme, that also helps the immune system kill cancer cells. The combined treatment is not yet available routinely on the NHS. However, experts, including doctors at University College London Hospitals, believe it has the potential to cure people with not only melanoma but also lung, bladder and kidney tumours.
According to UCLH investigator Dr Heather Shaw, who is part of the international trial, this vaccine has the potential to be a “gamechanger”. She added there is real hope that this therapy could cure people, particularly as it appears to have “relatively tolerable side effects.” Until now, treatments for deadly skin cancer have been limited, and survival rates are low. But this new vaccine offers great promise in the fight against this deadly disease
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