Breakthrough Lung Cancer Vaccine: $2 Million Invested in Development and Trials”.

The Cancer Research Agency and Cris Cancer Foundation have provided funding of 1.7 million pounds, equivalent to over 2 million USD, for the LungVax research project. This grant will be used for laboratory research and the production of 3,000 initial doses within a two-year period starting in 2024. Following this, the vaccine will undergo large-scale testing on individuals at high risk of lung cancer.

LungVax vaccine, developed by a team of experts from Oxford University, the Francis Crick Institute, and University College London (UCL), is currently in the laboratory research stage. It utilizes technology similar to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cell proteins. Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani of UCL and the Francis Crick Institute has stated that the vaccine is expected to potentially cure around 90% of all forms of lung cancer.

This marks the second lung cancer vaccine research project globally. The first, conducted by a French biotechnology company, has been in clinical trials since September 2023 and has shown promise in reducing the risk of death by 41% in individuals with certain types of lung cancer. This specific type is targeted towards patients with adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer that typically does not respond well to traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In 2023, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health reported that it ranked second in new incidence rates and first in cancer death rates globally. The development of a successful lung cancer vaccine would be a significant advancement in combating this deadly disease.