Oxford and Moderna launch INTERCEPT-Lynch trial testing mRNA cancer prevention
A new Oxford-Moderna trial called INTERCEPT-Lynch is seeing if an mRNA vaccine can actually prevent cancers in people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that puts them at high risk for cancers like colorectal and ovarian.
The idea is to teach your immune system to find and wipe out pre-cancerous cells before they turn dangerous.
Over 175,000 UK have Lynch syndrome
Lynch syndrome affects over 175,000 people in the UK giving them up to an 80% lifetime risk of certain cancers.
The first participant, Sarah Ewart from Oxford, called the potential of this vaccine "For people living with a higher risk of cancers, a preventative vaccine encouraging the body to spot and attack early cancers would be life changing."
If all goes well, the next phase kicks off in 2027 at more sites across the UK part of a 10-year strategic partnership between Moderna and the UK Government, established in 2022, to strengthen the UK's mRNA capabilities and pandemic preparedness.