A first of its kind treatment vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer has moved into phase I clinical trials under a collaboration agreement between Cancer Research UK and Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc.
Cancer Research UK will manage the initial clinical development of AST-VAC2, a promising immunotherapy candidate derived from a standardised human embryonic stem cell line. The project forms part of the charity’s Clinical Development Partnerships scheme.
The phase I trial will study the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and the feasibility of the manufacturing process on a clinical scale. If the findings are positive, it is hoped that AST-VAC2 could be used as an additional treatment for patients at high risk of recurrence or in combination with other treatments for patients with advanced disease.
AST-VAC2 contains embryonic stem cell-derived dendritic cells electroporated with a mRNA encoding a telomerase/lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 chimeric tumour antigen. Previous studies have shown that AST-VAC2 can elicit a telomerase-specific T-cell response from partially human leukocyte antigen-matched donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Professor Christian Ottensmeier, chief investigator for the trial and head of the Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre said: “Vaccines that boost the immune system to recognise and fight cancer could become a routine part of treatment for certain patients in the future, but we need to make them cheaper and easier to produce.
“With its potential to be used off-the-shelf, AST-VAC2 is an exciting development in the rapidly evolving field of immunotherapy,” he said.
