The government has signed a historic deal with a renowned biopharmaceutical company to bring breakthrough research to England, which would expedite the testing of vaccinations against cancer and other illnesses.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay and the German firm BioNTech, which previously created a world-leading Covid-19 vaccine with Pfizer, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding today.
Through this cooperation, cancer patients will get early access to clinical studies investigating personalised mRNA treatments, such as cancer vaccinations. mRNA vaccines will have a genetic blueprint to trigger the immune system to target cancer cells, since no two tumours are identical.
The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, which is being created by NHS England and Genomics England, will provide access to the studies.
The launch pad will facilitate the quick identification of a large number of cancer patients who may be eligible for the trials and the investigation of possible cancer vaccines for numerous forms of the disease. Innovative therapeutic trials might begin as early as autumn 2023.
The alliance would try to aid cancer sufferers in early and advanced stages. If produced effectively, the cancer vaccines might become conventional treatment.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay said:
“Once cancer is detected, we need to ensure the best possible treatments are available as soon as possible, including for breast, lung and pancreatic cancer.
“BioNTech helped lead the world on a Covid-19 vaccine and they share our commitment to scientific advancement, innovation and cutting-edge scientific technology, making them perfect partners for a deal to work together on cancer vaccines.
“This partnership will mean that, from as early as September, our patients will be among the first to participate in trials and tests to provide targeted, personalised and precision treatments using transformative new therapies to both treat the existing cancer and help stop it returning.
“This agreement builds on this government’s promise to increase research and development spending to £20 billion per year and demonstrates the UK remains one of the most attractive places in the world for innovative companies to invest in research, trial new treatments and treat patients more effectively.”
Building on the lessons learned during the pandemic, including the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, the partnership will allow the government and BioNTech to leverage the country’s world-leading expertise in institutions like the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Genomics England.
The launch pad will support the continuing efforts of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, which provides patients with access to the most advanced diagnostic technology and guarantees that they get more tailored, precise cancer therapies with better results.
BioNTech’s investment will entail the establishment of a new research and development centre and offices in the United Kingdom, therefore generating employment and enhancing the country’s standing as a worldwide leader in the life sciences.
Minister for Health and Secondary Care, Will Quince said:
“Getting a cancer diagnosis can be heart-breaking for patients and families. This partnership represents a giant leap towards achieving better outcomes for patients.
“BioNTech has a proven and distinguished record in vaccine technology and contributed significantly to the development of a Covid-19 vaccine.
“This partnership now has the potential to develop research leading to cancer therapies which could save lives.”
Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BioNTech:
“The UK successfully delivered Covid-19 vaccines so quickly because the National Health Service, academia, the regulator and the private sector worked together in an exemplary way.
“This agreement is a result of the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic. Drug development can be accelerated without cutting corners if everyone works seamlessly together towards the same goal. Today’s agreement shows we are committed to do the same for cancer patients.
“Our goal is to accelerate the development of immunotherapies and vaccines using technologies we have been researching for over 20 years. The collaboration will cover various cancer types and infectious diseases affecting collectively hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
“If successful, this collaboration has the potential to improve outcomes for patients and provide early access to our suite of cancer immunotherapies as well as to innovative vaccines against infectious diseases – in the UK and worldwide.”
National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Peter Johnson said:
“As we continue to drive forward efforts to diagnose cancers at the earliest possible stage, we also need to make sure we are looking at every opportunity to improve treatments. This new partnership will unlock the potential to develop revolutionary treatments in the UK to benefit NHS patients.
“mRNA technology has the potential to be a transformative approach in a number of illnesses, and we hope that by finding out how to vaccinate people against their own cancers we can further improve their chances of staying cancer-free.”