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Nottingham University Hospitals to offer NHS cancer vaccine trial for patients with head and neck cancer.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is one of just 15 hospitals in England to be involved in a new cancer vaccine trial in which patients with advanced head and neck cancers will be fast-tracked.
The investigational cancer vaccine uses mRNA technology to help the immune system recognise and kill cancer cells containing human papillomavirus proteins.
More than 100 patients with advanced head and neck cancer in England will be matched to the trial, as the NHS expands its world-leading trial ‘match-making’ service, supported by the NHS’ Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP).
The first head and neck cancer patients in England have received the investigational mRNA cancer vaccine in the clinical trial, known as AHEAD-MERIT (BNT113-01), with more patients to soon be enrolled at their nearest NHS hospital.
Honorary Consultant in Gastroenterology and Lead Cancer Clinician at NUH, Aloysious Aravinthan said,
“We are delighted to be one of the 15 hospitals involved in this cancer vaccine trial and to be able to give more people with advanced head and neck cancer the chance to take part in this exciting research.
“Trials like this provide vital research into personalised cancer treatments. That’s why it’s vital that we support a wide range of research, so that more people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
More than 11,000 new head and neck cancer cases are diagnosed in England every year, with cancers typically developing in the mouth, throat or voice box.
Despite advances in care for patients with head and neck cancer, the advanced form of the disease is difficult to treat and has high rates of recurrence, with two-year survival rates at under 50%.
The investigational cancer vaccine is designed to encode two proteins that are frequently found in head and neck squamous cell cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV-16), the most common type of head and neck cancer (accounting for 95% of these types of cancers), with the vaccine training the immune system to fight the cancer.
NHS England is partnering with life sciences company BioNTech to help identify potentially eligible patients to refer to NHS hospitals running the clinical trial.
This is the third cancer vaccine trial to be run through the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, coordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, which has already helped refer around 550 patients to trials of vaccines for bowel and skin cancers.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for cancer said: “It’s fantastic that more patients with advanced head and neck cancers will now be able to access this potentially transformative vaccine, offering renewed hope of holding the disease at bay.
“The NHS is always looking for evidence-backed innovations in treatment to improve survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with cancer, and this expansion of our Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad will give hundreds of patients the chance to be part of cutting-edge advances in cancer care.”
Chris Curtis, 67 years old, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with HPV related head and neck cancer in 2011 and set up a support charity, The Swallows. He said: “As a survivor of HPV-related head and neck cancer, I know first-hand the physical, emotional, and psychological toll this disease takes not just on the patient, but on the entire support system around them.
“When I was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer and two secondary cancers, one each side of the neck, my world just fell apart. I then had to go through brutal treatment, including six weeks of radiotherapy, chemotherapy every week, two neck dissections and be fed on a tube for almost three years. I lost 12 stone in weight and was severely physically and mentally unwell.
“With this aggressive cancer you live in fear every day – so anything that could help control the disease or give people peace of mind is ground-breaking – it'll allow people to get on with their lives and move forward.”
The CVLP is part of a strategic partnership between NHS England, the Government and BioNTech. It has been instrumental in accelerating trial activity in cancer research, with CVLP sites driving faster activation and enrolment timelines compared to a typical clinical trial process, enabling the acceleration of one recent study by nearly a year.
Minister for Health, Karin Smyth, said: "This is a massive win for cancer patients – and is exactly the kind of innovation we’re aiming to deliver with our 10 Year Health Plan.
“These cancer vaccines could be game-changing for patients facing some of the most challenging diagnoses. By getting these trials running in our NHS, we’re putting ourselves at the forefront of medical innovation, improving outcomes for people living with cancer.
“With our Plan for Change, we’re building an NHS that’s fit for future – one that is committed to transforming how cancer is treated and helping people to live longer.”
The ambitious programme aims to match thousands more cancer patients, in England, with cancer vaccine and immunotherapy trials for different types of cancer in future.