Lancashire Teaching Hospitals' Lancashire Clinical Research Facility is one of 15 sites in England where patients with advanced head and neck cancers are being fast-tracked into a trial of a new cancer vaccine, as the NHS expands its world-leading trial ‘match-making’ service.
Despite advances in the treatment of early-stage HPV-positive tumours, up to 25% of patients relapse within two years.
This investigational cancer vaccine uses mRNA technology to help the immune system recognise and kill cancer cells containing human papillomavirus proteins.
NHS England (Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS FT via the NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility) has partnered with life sciences company BioNTech to help identify potentially eligible patients to enter the clinical trial. At LTHTR we already have a patient enrolled in this trial (AHEAD-MERIT; BNT113-01).
Dr Dennis Hadjiyiannakis, Consultant Clinical Oncologist with the Trust and Medical Director of the NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility, said: "These cancer vaccines could be game-changing for patients facing some of the most challenging diagnoses.
"Such advancements offer patients hope for a better quality of life and a better chance of survival."
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad programme aims to match thousands of cancer patients with cancer vaccine and immunotherapy trials for different types of cancer in future.
This is the third cancer vaccine trial to be run through the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.
The programme has speeded up trial activity in cancer research. At Lancashire, we actively support CVLP.
For further information please contact: Lancashirecrf@lthtr.nhs.uk
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for cancer said: “It’s fantastic that more patients with advanced head and neck cancers will now be able to access this potentially transformative vaccine, offering renewed hope of holding the disease at bay.
“The NHS is always looking for evidence-backed innovations in treatment to improve survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with cancer, and this expansion of our Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad will give hundreds of patients the chance to be part of cutting-edge advances in cancer care.”
Chris Curtis, 67 years old, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with HPV related head and neck cancer in 2011 and set up a support charity, The Swallows. He said: “As a survivor of HPV-related head and neck cancer, I know first-hand the physical, emotional, and psychological toll this disease takes not just on the patient, but on the entire support system around them.
“When I was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer and two secondary cancers, one each side of the neck, my world just fell apart. I then had to go through brutal treatment, including six weeks of radiotherapy, chemotherapy every week, two neck dissections and be fed on a tube for almost three years. I lost 12 stone in weight and was severely physically and mentally unwell.
“With this aggressive cancer you live in fear every day – so anything that could help control the disease or give people peace of mind is ground-breaking – it'll allow people to get on with their lives and move forward.”
Minister for Health, Karin Smyth, said: "This is a massive win for cancer patients – and is exactly the kind of innovation we’re aiming to deliver with our 10 Year Health Plan.
“These cancer vaccines could be game-changing for patients facing some of the most challenging diagnoses. By getting these trials running in our NHS, we’re putting ourselves at the forefront of medical innovation, improving outcomes for people living with cancer.
“With our Plan for Change, we’re building an NHS that’s fit for future – one that is committed to transforming how cancer is treated and helping people to live longer.”
Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “Advancements in cancer research offer patients hope for a better quality of life, and a better chance of survival. This clinical trial is an important milestone for an exciting new approach for patients living with head and neck cancer.
"Our partnership with BioNTech is delivering for patients right across the country, and I hope to see more ambitious work like this as they continue to invest in Research and Development and AI as part of their billion-pound backing for the UK over the next ten years. We're determined to work closely with leading life sciences companies like BioNTech, to drive this thriving sector to even greater heights as part of our modern Industrial Strategy."
