Nutcracker Therapeutics’ Post

FEATURE - 2023 in review: Cancer vaccines dose up on advances with tailored approaches As the number of patients with cancers continues to grow globally, research into personalised cancer vaccines is vital. - https://lnkd.in/d3pv5A6h #cancer #cancervaccine #oncology #personalizedmedicine

Interesting finding presented at ESMO: in a retrospective analysis based on data from 2,400 patients with stage 3 or 4 non-small cell lung cancer treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center, 57.2% of people who happened to get Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech’s shot within 100 days of starting treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor were still alive three years later, compared with 30.7% of patients who hadn’t recently gotten the Covid shot. Similar results found in metastatic melanoma patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors: After 3 years, 68.4% of patients who recently got the Covid shot were still alive, compared to 45.6% of patients who didn’t. Would mRNA vaccines, even when not targeted against tumors, still have anti-tumor effects? Many studies suggest that mRNA lipid nanoparticles are much more potent activators of the innate immune response. Covid vaccines trigger the release of interferons, which activate immune cells throughout the body, potentially alerting the immune system to the presence of a previously stealthy tumor. A direct comparison to the personalized cancer vaccines is tricky. Moderna and its partner Merck have only recently begun testing their cancer vaccine for lung cancer. In June, the companies reported a 3-year update from their Phase 2b study in advanced melanoma. When given together, the vaccine and Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% compared with Keytruda alone. With the Covid vaccines, the researchers found a partial explanation for why the shots seem to help — they appeared to bump up the expression of PD-L1, the protein that many checkpoint inhibitors target, making the tumors more vulnerable to the drugs. In a larger analysis of 5,500 patients of several cancer types, people who recently got Covid shots had an average 55% increase in the proportion of tumor cells bearing the PD-L1 protein. The Covid vaccines made no difference in survival in patients who weren’t treated with checkpoint inhibitors.

BioNTech SE and Regeneron's off-the-shelf #mRNA melanoma vaccine BNT111 combined with immunotherapy, notches up an objective response rate win in a PhaseII trial compared to immunotherapy-alone. The vaccine induces immunity against molecules expressed on the surface of almost all melanomas. Interestingly this platform doesn't use the modified nucleotides that were key to the success of the COVID19 mRNA vaccines.  Our recently announced MRFF-funded Australian mRNA cancer vaccine centre will develop both experimental personalized and off-the-shelf mRNA vaccines for diverse cancers. https://lnkd.in/g4N4NnT4

#Oncology is a key focus for large pharma R&D, with growing global spending. Immunotherapies, like cancer vaccines, are gaining traction. Merck and Moderna's mRNA-4157/V940 vaccine, combined with Keytruda, shows promise in late-stage trials for #melanoma and NSCLC. These vaccines could be safer and more effective than current treatments, with potential for preventive use. Other companies, like CureVac and BioNTech SE, are also advancing in this area. Preventive lung cancer vaccines, such as LungVax, are in development for high-risk individuals. Excitement is high, with ongoing advancements poised to reshape cancer treatment. #OBI4You #CancerVaccines https://zurl.co/RHU4

Therapeutic #cancervaccines appear poised to become the next innovation to revolutionize standard of care in oncology. Specifically, Individualized neoantigen therapies (INTs) are emerging as one of the most promising cancer vaccines in development. INTs are tailored to each patient’s unique tumor mutational signature, making them highly personalized #precisionmedicine. For companies with cancer vaccines in their pipelines, now’s the time to consider how today’s development decisions will affect tomorrow’s perceptions of value and price. https://lnkd.in/eYXkXuxP

Click here to read about the many mRNA updates from this past week! Sneak Peak: 👨🔬 Moderna embarked on a late-stage trial of how the vaccine technology works against melanoma when administered in combination with Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda. 👩🔬 BioNTech SE has mRNA vaccines against melanoma and head and neck cancers in phase 2 trials. 👨🔬 The University of Florida scientists used mRNA technology to attack glioblastoma in a small early-stage clinical trial. 👩🔬 The University of Cincinnati is testing a therapeutic vaccine against pancreatic cancer. More #Science Below 🔬 💉 😷 https://lnkd.in/ezsgBymi #precisionmedicine #medicine #businessintelligence #mRNA #healthcare

🚨 Surprising findings from #ESMO2024: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may boost cancer immunotherapy efficacy! A new retrospective study from MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests an unexpected benefit of mRNA-based COVID vaccines for cancer patients (link: https://lnkd.in/es_PTp-D). The data from 2400 NSCLC patients, just presented at ESMO 2024, suggest significantly improved survival rates in advanced lung cancer patients who received the vaccine within 100 days of starting checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Key points: * 57.2% of vaccinated patients alive after 3 years vs. 30.7% of unvaccinated * Similar results were observed in metastatic melanoma patients * COVID vaccines appeared to increase PD-L1 expression on tumor cells While exciting, it should be emphasized that these observations require additional support from prospective studies. And frankly, these apparent associations are perplexing. To date, the linkage between the causative agent of COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and cancer has largely centered on the risk of cancer-induced immune suppression upon SARS-CoV-2 infection for cancer patients. This may suggest that the association may be rooted in the vaccine per se and not the specific immunogen. Regardless, the potential implications are profound: 1.    Assuming prospective trials support these observations, could mRNA vaccines offer a simple, cost-effective way to enhance immunotherapy? 2.    Just how “personalized” do cancer vaccines have to be? 3.    If true, is this merely an "adjuvant effect"? Or is there a new, specific type of immune stimulation exerting its influence here? The reported observations echo elements from previously published studies with other vaccine constructs (e.g. flu vaccine, cancer neoantigen vaccines) that report an impact on the efficacy of immune therapies in cancer. Together, these findings may challenge our current understanding of cancer immunology and open new therapeutic avenues. Context: Moderna, a major player (along with Pfizer) in the discovery and development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, just announced layoffs and budget cuts at the end of last week (link: https://lnkd.in/eN_sis84). Meanwhile, Genentech is shuttering its renowned cancer immunology group (link: https://lnkd.in/e_KyhJNa ). Also, a shoutout to Ryan Cross at Endpoints News for a great and prompt story on this! #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #NSCLC #mRNAVaccines #OncologyInnovation

Cancer vaccines are taking off! Merck and Moderna’s personalised mRNA cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157/V940, combined with Keytruda, delivers a breakthrough in melanoma treatment. This combination therapy reduces the risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to Keytruda alone, showcasing a significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy. The success of this trial highlights the potential of mRNA technology beyond COVID-19 vaccines and sets the stage for further expansion into other cancer types. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ePBAtWCu #CancerVaccines #mRNA #CancerResearch

Top 10 Biotechnology Companies that Might Change the Ways We Treat Cancer: As various biotechs across the world specialize in the production of cancer vaccines for different indications, here are 10 companies, presented in alphabetical order, making progress in the field of vaccine development for cancer. Aston Sci. BioNTech SE Dendreon Elicio Therapeutics Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. Imugene Limited Scancell Ltd Ultimovacs VacV Biotherapeutics #cancer #vaccine #oncology #immunotherapy #immunooncology #mrna #genetics #drugdiscovery #drugdevelopment

Exciting news in the world of cancer research! Clinical trials in 2023 suggest that a transformative technology may be approaching. An experimental vaccine, targeting unique cancer proteins called neoantigens, combined with an immunotherapy drug, reduced melanoma recurrence risk by 44%. This promising result from a phase 2 trial has led to a larger phase 3 trial underway. The vaccine platform is similar to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, offering hope for a breakthrough in cancer treatment. #cancerresearch #clinicaltrials #immunotherapy #vaccine #cancertreatment https://lnkd.in/gADBHvm9