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The ‘year of cancer vaccines’ confirms we are living in a golden age of cancer research

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK
by Michelle Mitchell | Opinion

30 December 2024

2 comments 2 comments

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Vaccine vial and needle
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The powerful promise of cancer vaccines has dominated headlines in 2024, confirming we are living in a golden age of cancer research. 

Cancer vaccines are a type of immunotherapy, designed to help our immune system beat cancer. Cancer Research UK forms part of the global effort exploring if vaccines can be used to treat and prevent certain cancers. 

The technology offers the tantalising possibility that we might one day be able to stop some cancers before they take hold in the body, saving countless lives. 

Cancer vaccines aren’t new: Cancer Research UK-funded science led to the development of the HPV vaccine, which has helped reduce cervical cancer cases by nearly 90% in women in their twenties who received the vaccine at age 12–13. 

In May, we shared new analysis showing the HPV vaccine continues to prevent cervical cancer across England.  

What’s changed is that the science that pulled us out of the Covid-19 pandemic is now helping scientists to tackle cancer. Moderna and BioNTech, which became household names in 2020, announced several new cancer vaccine trials this year. 

It’s great that cancer patients in the UK have access to these studies through the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad. 

It’s not just therapeutic vaccines we should be excited about: In March, Cancer Research UK announced up to £1.7m funding with the CRIS Cancer Foundation to develop LungVax, the world’s first vaccine designed to prevent lung cancer, using Oxford/AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine technology. 

We also announced funding for developing vaccines to prevent ovarian cancer and cancers linked to Lynch Syndrome. 

Vaccines aren’t a “magic bullet” for beating cancer, but are likely to be used alongside other therapies and screening programmes designed to prevent and treat the disease.  

Much of the progress we’ve seen in 2024 is thanks to decades of investment in vaccine research. 

We cannot let challenges like rising costs limit our ambitions; we must continue to back research to deliver more breakthroughs like those we’ve seen this year. 

 

 

This article was originally published by express.co.uk 

    Comments

  • Peter Davis
    1 February 2025

    ‘The ‘year of cancer vaccines’ confirms we are living in a golden age of cancer research’

    I agree with what your title states although frequently missed out of these articles is perhaps one of the most significant development in years especially in the treatment of glioblastoma. The following are key points that suggest DCVax® will likely be approved by UK MHRA. The Marketing Authorization application decision is expected imminently.

    The UK MHRA Marketing Authorisation Application was submitted on the 20th December 2023.

    They have had a very long time to find reasons to reject the application but have not done so to date.

    1) DCVax-L was the first ever medicine to be awarded ‘Promising Innovative Medicine’ (PIM) designation by UK.

    2}UK MHRA has allowed DCVax to be given to patients for over four years on a ‘Specials’ compassionate use program, despite not yet having MAA approval. No issues in terms of either Safety or efficacy have ever been raised.

    3) DCVax has a totally ‘benign’ safety profile.

    4) $nwbo was given approval (fast-tracked) of the Pediatric Investigation plan (PIP) BY MHRA which forms a pre-requisite for Application for approval of a New Medicine for Adult patients. Importantly, The external controls will be identified using the same methodology as was used to pre-specify the external controls in the Statistical Analysis Plan for the Company’s Phase III trial in adult patients.

    5) DCVax successfully completed the first phase 3 trial of a systemic treatment in 17 years to show a significant extension of mOS in nGBM

    6) DCVax successfully completed the first phase 3 trial of any type of treatment in 27 years to show a significant extension of mOS in rGBM

    7) DCVax successfully completed one of the first, if not the first, phase 3 trials to show meaningful increases in the long-term tails of the survival curves in both nGBM and rGBM

  • BRIAN HADLEY
    17 January 2025

    Sounds very encouraging

    I am part of your lottery programme and would welcome updates

    Brian

  • reply
    Tim Gunn
    20 January 2025

    Hi Brian,

    Thanks very much for your support and interest. You can subscribe to the Cancer News email newsletter to get updates on our research every two weeks.

    Best wishes,

    Tim, Cancer Research UK

Tell us what you think

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read our comment policy.

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    Comments

  • Peter Davis
    1 February 2025

    ‘The ‘year of cancer vaccines’ confirms we are living in a golden age of cancer research’

    I agree with what your title states although frequently missed out of these articles is perhaps one of the most significant development in years especially in the treatment of glioblastoma. The following are key points that suggest DCVax® will likely be approved by UK MHRA. The Marketing Authorization application decision is expected imminently.

    The UK MHRA Marketing Authorisation Application was submitted on the 20th December 2023.

    They have had a very long time to find reasons to reject the application but have not done so to date.

    1) DCVax-L was the first ever medicine to be awarded ‘Promising Innovative Medicine’ (PIM) designation by UK.

    2}UK MHRA has allowed DCVax to be given to patients for over four years on a ‘Specials’ compassionate use program, despite not yet having MAA approval. No issues in terms of either Safety or efficacy have ever been raised.

    3) DCVax has a totally ‘benign’ safety profile.

    4) $nwbo was given approval (fast-tracked) of the Pediatric Investigation plan (PIP) BY MHRA which forms a pre-requisite for Application for approval of a New Medicine for Adult patients. Importantly, The external controls will be identified using the same methodology as was used to pre-specify the external controls in the Statistical Analysis Plan for the Company’s Phase III trial in adult patients.

    5) DCVax successfully completed the first phase 3 trial of a systemic treatment in 17 years to show a significant extension of mOS in nGBM

    6) DCVax successfully completed the first phase 3 trial of any type of treatment in 27 years to show a significant extension of mOS in rGBM

    7) DCVax successfully completed one of the first, if not the first, phase 3 trials to show meaningful increases in the long-term tails of the survival curves in both nGBM and rGBM

  • BRIAN HADLEY
    17 January 2025

    Sounds very encouraging

    I am part of your lottery programme and would welcome updates

    Brian

  • reply
    Tim Gunn
    20 January 2025

    Hi Brian,

    Thanks very much for your support and interest. You can subscribe to the Cancer News email newsletter to get updates on our research every two weeks.

    Best wishes,

    Tim, Cancer Research UK

Tell us what you think

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read our comment policy.