Skin cancer patients given fast-tracked access to ‘revolutionary’ cancer vaccine trial on NHS

Patients with advanced skin cancer in England are set to be fast-tracked into trials of a new cancer vaccine, following the expansion of a world-leading NHS programme.

The needle-free injection, which is given for up to 2 years, works by boosting the immune system’s response and helping it recognise, attack and ‘remember’ cancer cells, to help stop the disease returning.

The NHS has partnered with UK life-sciences company Scancell to widen access for patients at hospitals across the country, with seven sites initially registered and more to follow, and the first patients expected to be referred next month (May).

The trial is the latest part of NHS England’s Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP), a world-first programme to fast-track eligible patients to studies developing vaccines against different cancers at their nearest participating hospital.

The Launch Pad has already begun helping thousands of patients to access trials of a personalised vaccine against bowel cancer, with more than 350 patients fast-tracked for consideration, and has now expanded to include a trial for melanoma.

Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 4% of all new cancer cases – with analysis by Cancer Research UK showing cases had risen by a third between 2009-2019.

Around half of melanoma patients respond to standard care of immunotherapy, but people who don’t respond are at higher risk of their cancer progressing.

The new DNA vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (Immunobody®), is not personalised to a patient’s tumour, but aims to improve the recognition of cancer cells by the immune system to boost response to immunotherapy.

It is being trialled by needle-free injection into the skin (intradermal) or muscle (intramuscular).

The phase II trial, known as SCOPE, is underway and the NHS CVLP – co-ordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit – is aiming to expand the number of patients able to take part and recruit dozens of patients by October.

NHS National Cancer Director Professor Peter Johnson said: “Skin cancer can have a devastating impact and we know that cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionise cancer care for patients in this country and across the world – and to save more lives.

“It’s incredibly exciting that the NHS is expanding its world-leading programme so more patients with different types of cancer could benefit from the development of new vaccines that could stop their cancer coming back.

“We want to ensure as many eligible NHS patients as possible have access to these vital trials, which is why we are working with a range of industry partners as more studies get up and running to ensure patients are fast-tracked to a vaccine that could transform lives.”

Grandfather of 4 Paul Thomas, 63, from New Milton, Hampshire, was first diagnosed with advanced skin cancer in 2017, and the disease kept returning following treatment.

Last year Paul, who owns a window cleaning business, was given the opportunity to be part of the SCOPE skin cancer vaccine trial which is now part of the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launchpad.

He said: “I feel so lucky to be put on the trial. Thankfully I was still quite fit and since I’ve been on it, my tumours have all shrunk. Every time I go for a scan they seem to be shrinking, which is really exciting.

“I’m really hoping for total eradication of my cancer, as opposed to being put in remission and I’m feeling optimistic. The care I’ve had so far has been fantastic and the team that have looked after me have been superb, along with amazing support from my family, I’m so thankful.”

The announcement comes a week after the Prime Minister announced plans for a new health data research service, to transform access to NHS data so clinical trials can be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, in turn helping boost the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and drive growth through the government’s Plan for Change.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This kind of innovation is nothing short of life-saving and I want to see more of these world-leading treatments being developed in the UK.

“That’s why through our Plan for Change we’ve taken action to boost our life sciences sector through steps to fast track clinical trials and cut red tape for researchers – so that Britain is the best country in the world for medical research.

“This will accelerate the discovery of transformative treatments and improve services for patients, driving growth across the country while making sure as many people as possible can benefit from cutting-edge treatments.”

The vaccine targets biomarkers specific to melanoma tumours acting as a flag to alert the immune system. This triggers the activation of T cells, which seek out, attack and destroy the cancer cells, inducing a lasting response by creating an immune ‘memory’ that may prevent the cancer from returning.

To be eligible for the trial, advanced melanoma patients who haven’t yet received treatment will first need a blood test to determine their tissue type. This test looks at genes that control how the immune system works, which vary from person to person.

The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad is a world-leading NHS trial “matchmaking” service to help find new life-saving treatments where thousands of patients can be referred to their nearest participating NHS site, so hospitals across the country will find it easier than ever to take part in transformational research.

Cancer patients can speak to their specialist about trials they might be eligible for.

This latest NHS partnership with Oxford-based Scancell follows last year’s national first trial to develop a colorectal cancer jab at several NHS sites sponsored by BioNTech SE.

Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth, said: “As someone who has overcome skin cancer, I know that every advancement in treatment brings hope to patients and their families.

“This innovative collaboration through our Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad could transform how we treat advanced melanoma. By fast-tracking eligible patients into clinical trials across the country, we’re ensuring more people can access potentially life-saving innovations while supporting crucial research.

“This is just the start; our Plan for Change will continue driving fundamental reform of the NHS to ensure it is delivering for all patients once again.”

Professor Gareth Griffiths, Director of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit said: “It is fantastic to see the expansion of the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad with the addition of this melanoma cancer vaccine trial. Our team have been working hard with Scancell to bring the trial on to the CVLP platform and we hope that by being part of this ground-breaking programme we can help to increase referrals for this trial and give more patients with advanced melanoma access to new, potentially life-saving treatments.”

Dr Nermeen Varawalla, Chief Medical Officer, Scancell, said: “Cancer vaccines have the potential to transform immunotherapy, redefine treatment options and ultimately save lives.

“Recent clinical data has demonstrated that our potent, tumour-targeted ‘off-the-shelf’ cancer vaccine delivers strong efficacy, with the potential for meaningful long-term survival benefits in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

“Our partnership with the CVLP will give patients expedited access to this landmark study and is an important step in accelerating the clinical development of this important new treatment.”

The Southampton Clinical Trials Unit is located at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, which is also a site in the new vaccine trial.

Karen Underwood, Director of Research & Development at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Research is vital to advancing healthcare and I am delighted that more of our patients will now benefit from access to pioneering cancer vaccines. Evidence shows that hospitals actively engaged in clinical research tend to have better patient outcomes, even for patients who are not directly involved in a research trial, and that is why research is so important to our trust.”

Following a major drive on early detection in recent years, the NHS is diagnosing more people with cancer than ever before at an earlier stage.

Latest monthly figures also show that the number of people given a definitive cancer diagnosis or the-all clear within 4 weeks increased compared to the previous month, with 195,366 seen within target.

There were also 58,622 total cancer treatments in January, 8,000 more than the month before (50,696).

Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: “Melanoma skin cancer can be deadly and it’s sadly on the rise in the UK. As well as continuing to call for urgent action on prevention, we’re delighted to see progress in innovative treatments and very much welcome the expansion of this vaccine trial.

“The use of vaccines to treat melanoma is an exciting development and we will be encouraging eligible patients to take part in these ground-breaking trials with our up-to-date Melanoma TrialFinder so that vaccines can be understood and patients can locate trial centres to discuss with their medical teams.”

Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer vaccine research continues to show promise and the Cancer Vaccines Launch Pad is an important route to fast-track this technology into clinical trials.

“Research into targeted cancer treatments is vital. There are over 200 different types of cancer and it’s unlikely there will ever be a single cure that works for everyone. 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.”