Phase 2 trials of the BioNTech mRNA cancer vaccine have begun and will include approximately 200 patients.
Omar Rodriguez from Texas, U.S. will soon receive a dose of the BioNTech mRNA cancer vaccine. The 47-year-old stage three colon cancer survivor is part of the vaccine’s phase 2 trials. Colon cancer is the second deadliest cancer worldwide. لعبة الروليت في الكازينو Despite tumor resection and chemotherapy, many patients are at risk of tumor recurrence within 2-3 years of the surgery. Therefore, the phase 2 trials will assess the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing a relapse in high-risk patients. betway
Rodriguez is among the first people that will receive the personalized mRNA cancer vaccine BNT122. It uses similar technology as the COVID-19 vaccines; however, the therapy is individualized for each patient. شرح بوكر First, researchers identify high-risk patients via liquid biopsy. This helps look for circulating tumor DNA within the blood samples of cancer patients. Once found, these cancer cells are then shipped to BioNTech’s factory in Germany. Researchers then identify patient-specific mutations within the tumor and encode them within mRNA strands for a personalized vaccine.
This trial is an important milestone in our efforts to bringing individualized immunotherapies to patients.
Dr. Özlem Türeci, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of BioNTech
30-40% of Patients Face Relapse
According to BioNTech’s statement, the mRNA vaccine can target up to 20 mutations. Moreover, the whole process from taking samples for biopsy to vaccine development takes approximately six weeks.
In this clinical trial in patients with colorectal cancer, we aim to identify high-risk patients with a blood test and investigate whether an individualized mRNA vaccine can prevent such relapses.
Dr. Özlem Türeci, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of BioNTech
The trial is currently underway in the U.S., Spain, Germany, and Belgium. Researchers aim to recruit around 200 colon cancer patients at high risk of cancer relapse. Patients part of the four-year clinical trial will receive one shot per week for a total of six weeks. Then, they will switch to a biweekly plan and then receive it every couple of weeks for about a year. Moreover, a control group that will undergo watchful waiting is also part of the trial. Researchers plan to compare the efficacy of the mRNA vaccine to the current standard of care.
However, this is not the only vaccine under trial at BioNTech’s. The company has also been conducting trials for its mRNA vaccines targeting melanomas, solid tumors, and head and neck cancers. All of which have grown promising results in early trials.
Source: BioNTech
