Doctors have begun phrase III trials for the world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma.
Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, affecting about 132,000 people a year across the globe.
In phase II of the trials, it was found that the vaccine significantly reduced the risk of the cancer coming back in patients with melanoma.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is leading phase 3 of the trials, which will include a wider range of patients and aims to recruit about 1,100 people.
In the UK, it is aiming to recruit 60 to 70 patients across eight centres, including in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds.
Steve Young, 52, from Stevenage, Hertforshire is one of the first patients to be given the vaccine, the BBC reported. Young had a melanoma growth cut out of his scalp last August.
“I’m really, really excited,” he said. “This is my best chance at stopping the cancer in its tracks.”
The vaccine helps his immune system to recognise and remove any remaining cancerous cells. It also means that the cancer is less likely to return.
The jab, mRNA-4157 (V940), is now in its final stage phase III trials and uses the same technology as Covid vaccines. The combined treatment is made by Moderna and Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) but is not yet available on the NHS, outside of clinical trials.
The make-up of the vaccine is changed to suit the individual patient.
Dr Heather Shaw, the national coordinating investigator for the trial, said the jabs can cure people with melanoma and are being tested in other cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney.
“This is one of the most exciting things we’ve seen in a really long time,” said Shaw. “This is a really finely honed tool. To be able to sit there and say to your patients that you’re offering them something that’s effectively like the Fat Duck at Bray versus McDonald’s – it’s that level of cordon bleu that’s coming to them … The patients are really excited about them.”
What are the symptoms of skin cancer (melanoma)?
Common signs of melanoma to check for include:
A new abnormal mole
An existing mole that seems to be growing or changing
A change to a previous patch of normal skin
According to the NHS, melanomas are often an uneven shape. They may have two different shaped halves and uneven edges. Normal moles are usually round with smooth edges.
Melanomas also tend to have a mix of colours, and are typically bigger, often more than 6mm wide.
See a GP if you are experiencing symptoms. "Finding a melanoma as early as possible can mean it's easier to treat," the NHS says.
