First patient dosed in clinical trial testing new treatment against lung cancer

The first patient has been dosed in a clinical trial testing a new treatment against the most common type of lung cancer.

A phase I/IIa trial known as MAGE will enrol 86 people who have been newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.  The trial, organised by Cancer Research UK, Vaccitech and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research will be testing the safety and initial efficacy of an immunotherapy treatment designed stimulate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.

It’s estimated that 80-85% of lung cancers in the UK are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with the three main types - adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma – grouped together due to how they behave and respond to treatment in a similar manner.

The therapy, named VTP-600, will be given in combination with chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 treatment. The therapy is being supplied by Vaccitech Oncology, a strategic collaboration between Vaccitech and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.

The researchers hope that if the trials are successful, then VTP-600 could prove to be a new treatment for the most common type of lung cancer. Depending on the trial results, the therapy may also be evaluated in other types of cancer in the future.

VTP-600 is an immunotherapy designed to stimulate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.

It does this by delivering cancer-associated proteins — known as MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 antigens — to antigen presenting cells (dendritic cells), causing the immune system to produce cytotoxic T-cells which are able to target and kill cancer cells expressing these antigens.

Unlike preventative vaccines, such as the influenza vaccine, which is given to healthy people to protect them against future disease, VTP-600 is given to people who already have lung cancer.

It cannot target healthy tissues because MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 are not found on non-cancerous cells.

VTP-600 is a therapy that is given in two doses, one as a ‘prime’ dose and then a second ‘booster’ dose 21 days later. It’s thought that this approach can improve the size and length of the anti-cancer immune response.

Dr Nigel Blackburn, director of Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development, said: “We are excited to see that the first patient has been treated with the VTP-600 immunotherapeutic vaccine. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer but remains very hard to treat. If successful, this cutting-edge immunotherapy could provide an effective, much-needed new treatment to help more people survive their lung cancer.

“Partnering with Vaccitech and the Ludwig Institute was vital for making this trial a reality, and we are looking forward to seeing how the trial progresses.”

Chief investigator for the MAGE clinical trial, Professor Fiona Blackhall, who is consultant medical oncologist and director of research and innovation at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: “There is an urgent need to find better treatments for patients with NSCLC.  The VTP-600 immunotherapeutic vaccine is a cutting-edge technology to target a patient’s immune system to tackle the cancer cells. The trial is planned to open at 10 specialist hospitals across the UK to ensure that as many patients as possible can be given opportunity to participate.”

Vaccitech’s CEO, Bill Enright, said: “We are delighted with the start of this trial, arising from our clinical development partnership with two of the world’s most prestigious cancer research institutions. We’ve seen how our viral vector has transformed the world’s approach to sars-cov2 and has shown promising early results in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. We see this partnership as another important validation of our prime boost platform’s utility in oncology as well as infectious disease.”

“We are pleased that the research arising from the Ludwig Oxford Branch and their colleagues at Oxford University is being tested in this clinical trial to evaluate the benefit it may bring to patients with NSCLC and potentially other cancer patients as well,” added Jonathan Skipper, Executive Vice President for Technology Development, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.