Thousands of patients will soon have access to groundbreaking cancer vaccines through an NHS trial. The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP), a new "match-making" service, will connect patients with suitable clinical trials. The Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU) at the University of Southampton has been selected to manage this project.
The initiative by NHS England aims to accelerate research into personalized cancer vaccines, a form of immunotherapy that enhances the body's immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. Professor Simon Crabb, clinical director of SCTU, explained that this new scheme will unite academic and industry partners developing cancer vaccines, giving patients across England access to trials of treatments that were previously unavailable.
Ali Richards, 63, participated in a past cancer vaccine trial at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit after her head and neck cancer recurred following initial treatment. "Traditional treatments are harsh by nature, and anything that can make treatment simpler, more effective, and less invasive is a positive step," said Richards, from Poole in Dorset.
These vaccines are developed by analyzing a patient's tumor and using that data to create a personalized vaccine. Professor Gareth Griffiths, director of the Cancer Research UK SCTU, noted, "Cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of the disease, especially for cancers where current treatment options are limited or particularly tough on patients."
The goal of personalized vaccines is to establish an immune 'memory' that can prevent cancer from returning after surgery or chemotherapy. The first trial will test a vaccine being developed by biotech company BioNTech SE.
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