Skin cancer patients at University Hospitals Dorset given fast-tracked access to ‘revolutionary’ vaccine trial thanks to NHS programme

Patients with advanced melanoma being treated at University Hospitals Dorset are set to be fast-tracked into clinical trials of a new cancer vaccine following the expansion of the world-leading NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP).

The SCOPE trial is the latest vaccine trial to be included in the CVLP, which is run by the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit on behalf of NHS England. The CVLP is able to match eligible patients to studies developing vaccines against different cancers at their nearest participating hospital.

For this latest trial, the NHS has partnered with Oxford-based life-sciences company Scancell to widen access to the trial for patients with advanced melanoma.

NHS national cancer director Professor Peter Johnson said: “Skin cancer can have a devastating impact, and we know that cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionise cancer care for patients in this country and across the world – and to save more lives.

“It’s incredibly exciting that the NHS is expanding its world-leading programme so more patients with different types of cancer could benefit from the development of new vaccines that could stop their cancer coming back.

“We want to ensure as many eligible NHS patients as possible have access to these vital trials, which is why we are working with a range of industry partners as more studies get up and running to ensure patients are fast-tracked to a vaccine that could transform lives.” 

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 4% of all new cancer cases – with analysis by CRUK showing cases had risen by a third between 2009-2019.

Around half of melanoma patients respond to standard care of immunotherapy, but people who don’t respond are at higher risk of their cancer progressing.

The new DNA vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (Immunobody®) aims to improve the recognition of cancer cells by the immune system to boost response to immunotherapy.

The vaccine, which is given for up to two years, works by helping the immune system to recognise, attack and ‘remember’ cancer cells, to try and prevent the disease returning.  

The phase II SCOPE trial is already underway at several hospitals across the country. The CVLP is now aiming to expand the number of patients who are able to take part, recruiting dozens of patients at participating hospitals, including University Hospitals Dorset across the country by October. 

Professor Gareth Griffiths, Director of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit said: “It is fantastic to see the expansion of the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad with the addition of this melanoma cancer vaccine trial. Our team have been working hard with Scancell to bring the trial on to the CVLP platform and we hope that by being part of this ground-breaking programme we can help to increase referrals for this trial and give more patients with advanced melanoma access to new, potentially life-saving treatments.”

Grandfather of four Paul Thomas, 63, from Hampshire, is already taking part in the SCOPE trial at University Hospital Southampton.

Paul was first diagnosed with advanced skin cancer in 2017, and within two weeks he was having surgery which included removing several lymph nodes. But the disease kept returning following treatment.

Last year Paul, who owns a window cleaning business, was given the opportunity to be part of the SCOPE skin cancer vaccine trial which is now part of the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launchpad.

He said: “I feel so lucky to be put on the trial. Thankfully I was still quite fit and since I've been on it, every time I go for a scan they seem to be shrinking, which is really exciting.

“I'm really hoping for total eradication of my cancer, as opposed to being put in remission and I’m feeling optimistic. The care I've had so far has been fantastic and the team that have looked after me have been superb, along with amazing support from my family, I'm so thankful.”

The announcement comes after the Prime Minister recently announced plans for a new health data research service, to transform access to NHS data so clinical trials can be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, in turn helping boost the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and drive growth through the government’s Plan for Change.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This kind of innovation is nothing short of lifesaving and I want to see more of these world-leading treatments being developed in the UK.

“That’s why through our Plan for Change we’ve taken action to boost our life sciences sector through steps to fast track clinical trials and cut red tape for researchers – so that Britain is the best country in the world for medical research.

“This will accelerate the discovery of transformative treatments and improve services for patients, driving growth across the country while making sure as many people as possible can benefit from cutting-edge treatments.” 

The vaccine being developed in the SCOPE trial targets biomarkers specific to melanoma tumours, acting as a flag to alert the immune system. This triggers the activation of T cells, which seek out, attack and destroy the cancer cells. The vaccine also induces a lasting response by creating an immune ‘memory’ that may delay progression of the cancer in the future.

To be eligible for the SCOPE trial, advanced melanoma patients who haven’t yet received treatment will first need a blood test to determine their tissue type. This test looks at genes that control how the immune system works, which vary from person to person.

Dr Nermeen Varawalla, Chief Medical Officer at Scancell, said: “Cancer vaccines have the potential to transform immunotherapy, redefine treatment options and ultimately save lives. Recent clinical data has demonstrated that our potent, tumour-targeted ‘off-the-shelf’ cancer vaccine delivers strong efficacy, with the potential for meaningful long-term survival benefits in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. Our partnership with the CVLP will give patients expedited access to this landmark study and is an important step in accelerating the clinical development of this important new treatment.”

The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad is a world-leading NHS trial “matchmaking” service to help find new life-saving treatments where thousands of patients can be referred to their nearest participating NHS site, so hospitals across the country will find it easier than ever to take part in transformational research. Cancer patients can speak to their specialist about trials they might be eligible for.

This latest NHS partnership with Scancell follows last year’s first CVLP trial to develop a personalised vaccine against colorectal cancer at several NHS sites, sponsored by BioNTech SE. The Launch Pad saw more than 350 patients with bowel cancer fast-tracked for consideration into the trial.

Following a major drive on early detection in recent years, the NHS is diagnosing more people with cancer than ever before at an earlier stage.

Latest monthly figures also show that the number of people given a definitive cancer diagnosis or the-all clear within 4 weeks increased compared to the previous month, with 195,366 seen within target. There were also 58,622 total cancer treatments in January, 8,000 more than the month before (50,696). 

Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: “Melanoma skin cancer can be deadly and it’s sadly on the rise in the UK. As well as continuing to call for urgent action on prevention, we’re delighted to see progress in innovative treatments and very much welcome the expansion of this vaccine trial. The use of vaccines to treat melanoma is an exciting development and we will be encouraging eligible patients to take part in these ground-breaking trials with our up-to-date Melanoma TrialFinder so that vaccines can be understood, and patients can locate trial centres to discuss with their medical teams.”

Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: "Cancer vaccine research continues to show promise, and the Cancer Vaccines Launch Pad is an important route to fast-track this technology into clinical trials.

“Research into targeted cancer treatments is vital. There are over 200 different types of cancer and it’s unlikely there will ever be a single cure that works for everyone. That’s why it’s vital that we support a wide range of research, so that more people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”