99 percent of patients responded to a new vaccine against pancreatic cancer
A new vaccine against pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers there is, trained the immune system to fight back in 99% of patients.
Most pancreatic cancers are driven by mutations in a gene called KRAS. A vaccine called camupepimut, made by Elicio Therapeutics, is designed to teach the immune system’s T cells to recognize seven of the most common KRAS mutations.
In a phase 2 trial led by Mayo Clinic oncologist Ben George, 144 people who’d had surgery and chemo were randomly assigned to get the vaccine or not. Of 90 vaccinated patients who could be checked, 89 developed T cells that targeted mutated KRAS, and in more than 80% the response was over nine times stronger than before.
Patients with the strongest immune responses tended to stay cancer-free longer. A larger phase 3 trial is planned with booster shots and possible drug combinations.
