Uniting for a Cure: LungVax Grant Brings Hope to Fight Lung Cancer

The Cancer Research Agency and Cris Cancer Foundation have awarded a grant of 1.7 million pounds, equivalent to over 2 million USD, for the LungVax research project. This funding will be used for laboratory research and the production of 3,000 initial doses within a two-year period starting in 2024. After this, the vaccine will undergo large-scale testing on individuals at high risk of lung cancer.

LungVax is a vaccine developed by a team of experts from Oxford University, the Francis Crick Institute, and University College London (UCL). It uses technology similar to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cell proteins. Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani of UCL and the Francis Crick Institute stated that the vaccine is expected to potentially cure around 90% of all forms of lung cancer. However, it is important to note that this vaccine does not replace preventive measures such as smoking cessation or cancer screening.

This marks the second lung cancer vaccine research project globally. The first was conducted by a French biotechnology company and has been in clinical trials since September 2023, showing promise in reducing the risk of death by 41% in individuals with certain types of lung cancer. This specific type is targeted towards patients with adenocarcinoma, which is typically unresponsive to traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In 2023, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health reported that it ranked second in new incidence rates and first in cancer death rates globally. The development of a successful lung cancer vaccine would be a significant advancement in combating this deadly disease.