Medical researchers have reported a major breakthrough in the development of a new cancer vaccine that has shown encouraging results in patients with advanced and recurring cancers.
The vaccine, known as Amivantamab, is currently being tested in clinical trials across 11 countries. Researchers say early results have been highly promising, with some patients experiencing complete disappearance of their tumors.
The treatment is administered through injection and is being evaluated in patients whose cancer has spread or returned after previous treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, failed to produce lasting results.
According to researchers, the vaccine reduced tumors by more than one-third in many patients, while some participants saw dramatic improvements within weeks of receiving the treatment.
The findings were presented at a major cancer conference in Chicago, where researchers shared data from a clinical trial involving 102 patients suffering from head and neck cancer, the world’s sixth most common cancer type.
Among the participants, 43 patients experienced significant tumor shrinkage or complete disappearance of their tumors following treatment.
Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research said the results were particularly remarkable because many of the patients had cancers that were resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
He noted that some participants had very limited treatment options remaining, making the observed response especially significant.
Researchers said the vaccine attacks cancer in three different ways. It blocks a receptor that helps cancer spread, prevents a protein that supports tumor growth, and interferes with pathways used by cancer cells to survive and multiply.
In addition, the treatment stimulates the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Scientists also reported similar positive results among lung cancer patients. Although the therapy was initially developed for lung cancer, researchers believe it could eventually be used to treat colorectal, brain, stomach and several other forms of cancer.
More than 60 clinical trials involving the treatment have been conducted so far. Researchers added that the injection offers quick therapeutic effects and is generally more convenient for patients, while side effects have so far ranged from mild to moderate.
Despite the promising findings, experts stress that further clinical studies are needed before the treatment can receive widespread regulatory approval and become routinely available to cancer patients.
