A WIRRAL man has welcomed the news that the world’s first cancer vaccine therapy for lung cancer will be trialled at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (CCC) has been at the forefront of pioneering cancer vaccine studies with the world’s first cancer vaccine for head and neck cancer being given to one of its patients in 2022 and now it is trialling the world’s first cancer vaccine therapy for lung cancer, which is a particular problem in Cheshire and Merseyside where incidence of it is much higher than the UK average.

On Tuesday, August 22 at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), 67-year-old Janusz Racz was the UK’s first patient to be given the BioNTech-created treatment – specialised immunotherapy which trains the body’s own immune system to recognise and attack cancer, utilising the same mRHA technology that the German biotech company used to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine.

Five other NHS cancer research hospitals in the UK are due to trial the treatment, with Clatterbridge – the only centre in the north west to be involved – aiming to treat its first patient in two weeks’ time.

Professor Christian Ottensmeier, CCC’s Director of Clinical Research, who is leading the trial at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool, said: “We are very excited about this particular clinical trial because lung cancer is a huge problem in Cheshire and Merseyside, and especially Liverpool.

“We have extensive experience and expertise in conducting cancer vaccine clinical trials, with more than a dozen in operation at Clatterbridge. We are seeing significant successes with individual patients who have been part of these investigational trials, and we are hoping this can be replicated in this lung cancer study.”

Clatterbridge is undertaking cancer vaccine research in colorectal cancer as well as head and neck cancer and now lung cancer, in association with the University of Liverpool.

Prof Ottensmeier said: “Our aim is to try to extend this cutting-edge medical technology to other cancer types. As well as potentially curing patients of their cancer, who were not responding to the usual treatments, these cancer vaccine therapies can have far fewer side effects than radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as they are tailored to the patient’s own personal immune system.

“There is a long way to go, but this method of treating patients could be a standard therapy in years to come, alongside our other ways to tackle the disease.”

Approximately 130 participants will be enrolled in the BNT116 study across 34 research sites in seven countries, with six UK sites selected, including Clatterbridge.

UCLH consultant medical oncologist Siow Ming Lee, who leads the national study, said: “Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths in 2020.

“We are now entering this very exciting new era of mRNA-based immunotherapy clinical trials to investigate the treatment of lung cancer.”

Clatterbridge patient Adrian Taylor has seen his cancer almost eradicated by his treatment on a cancer vaccine clinical trial, which began last year. Adrian, from Wirral, is a head and neck cancer patient whose disease had spread to his lung before being given the therapy on a similar BioNTech clinical trial.

He said: “It is excellent news that lung cancer patients look likely to be able to benefit from this amazing medical technology.

"It has been a privilege being able to help cancer research, especially in this ground-breaking area of treatment, and it is amazing that people in Liverpool can benefit from these pioneering clinical trials so close to home."