(Market Insider) – Russia has announced that its experimental cancer vaccine has successfully completed preclinical trials, demonstrating both high safety and effectiveness, according to Veronika Skvortsova, head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA). She revealed the development during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
“Research has taken many years, with the last three devoted to mandatory preclinical studies. The vaccine is now ready for use, and we are awaiting official approval,” Skvortsova said.
She emphasized that the preclinical results confirmed the vaccine’s safety even with repeated doses, while also showing significant effectiveness. Researchers recorded tumor shrinkage and slower tumor progression in 60% to 80% of cases, depending on the type of cancer. The studies also indicated improved survival rates.
Initial Focus on Colorectal Cancer
The vaccine’s first application is expected to be in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Promising progress has also been made in developing vaccines for glioblastoma and certain forms of melanoma, including ocular melanoma, which are already in advanced stages of development.
AI-Powered Personalized Vaccine
In early August, Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, said that the first Russian patients could begin receiving a new cancer vaccine based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology within the coming months.
According to Gintsburg, this is a personalized mRNA vaccine designed to target malignant tumors using each patient’s unique genetic data. The first trials will be conducted in cooperation with two leading oncology institutions in Moscow: the Hertsen Research Institute and the Blokhin Cancer Center.
“The Ministry of Health has approved the plan to start experimental treatment with a cancer vaccine based on new antigens for a group of melanoma patients,” Gintsburg explained. He stressed that the vaccine is “completely personalized,” created individually for each patient based on their tumor data, and cannot be used for anyone else.
Speed and Technology
Development of the mRNA-based vaccine began in mid-2022. The therapy works by training the patient’s immune system to recognize tumor-specific proteins (antigens) and destroy malignant cells throughout the body via cytotoxic lymphocytes.
Originally designed for melanoma patients, the vaccine has already shown encouraging results in animal testing and limited human trials. Gintsburg previously noted that the entire production process—from tumor analysis to the creation of an individualized vaccine—can be completed in about one week, thanks to AI-powered support.
