BioNTech unveils mRNA vaccine that targets skin cancer

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• BioNTech has announced its latest innovation called the BNT11 treatment.
• The treatment is a type of mRNA vaccine that produces antigens that would destroy cancer cells.
• The German company is also developing other experimental treatments in a bid to fight cancer and other illnesses.

Amid the rise of mRNA vaccines as the world tries to outlive the threats of COVID-19, there were deliberations on how such a vaccine could also be of help in fighting other types of illnesses.

As of this moment, another innovation has reached a milestone. The first cancer patient has been administered the first dose of the Phase II trial of the BioNTech mRNA cancer vaccine.

The newest medicine, called BNT111 treatment, will be administered alongside an immunotherapy drug that would mitigate a particular type of advanced melanoma.

Accordingly, the trial, which has 120 patient participants, is open-label and randomized. It aims to evaluate the response rate of BNT11 when partnered with the cemiplimab (with brand name Libtayo) drug. The research would also monitor the treatment’s longevity and safety. 

As the new medicine embarks on the favorable findings from the Phase I trial, experts are confident that the latest cure invention would exhibit a robust and safe antibody response.

Per BioNTech co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Özlem Türeci, the company’s vision is to “harness the power of the immune system against cancer and infectious diseases. We were able to demonstrate the potential of mRNA vaccines in addressing COVID-19. We must not forget that cancer is also a global health threat, even worse than the current pandemic.”

“BNT111 has already shown a favorable safety profile and encouraging preliminary results in early clinical evaluation. With the start of patient treatment in our Phase 2 trial, we are encouraged to continue on our initial path to realize the potential of mRNA vaccines for cancer patients,” she added.

Accordingly, BNT111 is an anti-cancer mRNA experimental drug that is part of the company’s FixVac platform. This treatment includes multiple immunotherapy obtaining cellular instructions that would develop antigens. These molecules would then trigger an immune response by producing antibodies that would prevent cancer cells.

Such medicine would result in the immune system being programmed to fight the presence of tumors before their establishment in the body. As of the present, BNT111 is the latest treatment that is part of the FixVac program. The drug targets four antigens where one of them becomes evident in nearly 100 percent of patients with severe melanoma.

Currently, the drug company is undergoing trials with other experimental treatments that deal with other types of cancer and diseases.

Source: IFLScience.com