Doctors report that the experimental cancer vaccine "Amivantamab" completely eliminated tumors in 15 patients. These changes were observed within a few weeks.
According to The Guardian, the study involved 11 countries. The vaccine was given to patients whose cancer had not responded to other treatments. A total of 102 patients with head and neck cancer received the drug. In 43 of them, tumors shrank or disappeared completely. Specifically, tumors shrank significantly in 28 patients and disappeared completely in 15. The vaccine also showed similar results in lung cancer patients.
Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research in London says: "This is a strong and unprecedented response from patients whose disease has become resistant to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This category of patients has very limited treatment options, so these results are remarkable."
According to him, this vaccine could benefit thousands of patients annually in the future.
Doctors emphasize that the trial included patients who did not have squamous cell carcinoma caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). This is very important because cancers not caused by HPV are usually more difficult to treat.
According to them, patients lived an average of 12.5 months after starting treatment, despite having a type of cancer with a very poor prognosis. Harrington describes achieving this level of cure and survival rate in this difficult-to-treat group of patients as "a significant step forward."
It is worth noting that the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia received approval last April for the clinical use of the first mRNA vaccine, called ONKORNA. This drug is based on novel antigens and is tailored to each individual patient. It is intended for the treatment of colorectal cancer. The vaccine works by activating the anti-tumor immune response in each patient.
