NHS to Fast-Track Patients into mRNA Cancer Vaccine Trial

Patients in England with advanced head and neck cancers will be fast-tracked into a trial of a new cancer vaccine using mRNA technology.

The investigational vaccine is designed to help the immune system recognise and destroy cancer cells containing human papillomavirus (HPV) proteins. NHS England said more than 100 patients will be matched to the trial over the next year at 15 NHS hospitals.

Third Trial via Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad

This is the third cancer vaccine study run through NHS England’s Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP), a national programme that matches eligible patients with nearby trials. 

Other CVLP trials are investigating vaccines for patients with colorectal carcinoma and with melanoma. The initiative is coordinated by the University of Southampton’s Clinical Trials Unit.

Difficult to Treat, High Recurrence

More than 11,000 new head and neck cancer cases are diagnosed each year in England. Despite improvements in care, the advanced form of the disease is difficult to treat and has high rates of recurrence, with 2-year survival rates below 50%.

The investigational vaccine, known as BNT113, encodes two oncoproteins commonly found in HPV16-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma — the most common type, accounting for 95% of these types of cancers.

The AHEAD-MERIT trial is an open-label phase 2/3 randomised study. It will assess BNT113 in combination with pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, vs pembrolizumab alone as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic HPV16-positive head and neck cancers expressing PD-L1.

‘Potentially Transformative’ Approach

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, called the vaccine “potentially transformative” and said it offered “renewed hope of holding the disease at bay.”

Chris Curtis, who was diagnosed with HPV-related head and neck cancer in 2011 and founded the support charity The Swallows, said the vaccine could help people “get on with their lives and move forward.”

Expanding Access to Personalised Treatment

The CVLP is part of a strategic partnership between NHS England, the government, and BioNTech. NHS England said it has accelerated cancer trial activity, with faster site activation and enrolment compared with standard processes.

The programme aims to match thousands more cancer patients to vaccine and immunotherapy trials in the future.

In April, NHS England announced that patients with advanced melanoma would be fast-tracked into the SCOPE study, a clinical trial for a new cancer vaccine.

Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said the CVLP was “an important route to fast-track promising mRNA vaccine technology into clinical trials.” He added, “Research into personalised cancer treatments is vital.” 

Rob Hicks is a retired National Health Service doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written several books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He is based in the United Kingdom.