An immunizer that can prevent recurrence of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is being tested on British patients. This Friday (26/4), the first images of a man receiving the vaccine in the world were released.
This man participates in third phase of testing of the immunizing agent and is the first to receive the immunizing agent in this final round prior to the approval of the medicine.
The injection uses a technique similar to that of the first Covid vaccines, the mRNA. It is adapted according to each patient’s cells and has the potential to also be used to prevent lung, kidney and bladder cancer.
The musician Steve Young, 52 years old, was the one who gave face to this advance in medicine. He was diagnosed with stage II melanoma on his head, which was removed in 2023. The vaccine can reduce the chances of the cancer returning in his body.
Steve expressed his gratitude for being part of this clinical trial: “I feel lucky to be part of this clinical trial. This is my best chance to stop cancer and taking this vaccine was one of the best days of my life,” he said in an interview with University College London Hospitalsa health institution that leads clinical trials of the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
The immunizer is produced by pharmaceutical companies Modern It is Merck/MSD. It must be used together with the medication Keytruda, an immunotherapy that enhances its prevention. In phase 2 trials, the risk of death from a tumor returning within three years decreased by 44% compared to people who only used the drug.
Kyle Holen, Senior Vice President of Modernhighlighted: “This vaccine is an exciting milestone for us to visualize how individualized therapy can potentially transform the treatment of the most serious form of skin cancer in the future.”
Technology is based on technology mRNA. Personalized treatment works by giving the body a kind of instruction manual that helps to produce proteins capable of neutralizing cells that, upon prior examination, were identified as causing cancer in that specific patient.
Individualized therapy is designed to prepare the immune system to attack each patient’s tumor cells, enhancing the action of the Keytruda in the organism.
Like Steve, another thousand patients will receive the vaccine around the world in this third phase of the study, which should last at least until 2026.
The prediction is that the previous results could support an experimental launch of the vaccine in 2025. The trial is double-blind, so there is a 50% chance that patients will receive a placebo instead of the injection.
O melanoma It is the most serious form of skin cancer, as it is the only one that can lead to metastases, affecting deep skin cells. In Brazil, approximately 1,800 people die every year as a result of this disease, according to the Ministry of Health.
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