Pancreatic Cancer Vaccines – A New Hope in Oncology
Ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with a global 5-year survival rate below 10% and a median recurrence-free survival of less than 14 months after resection. Despite progress in surgery and adjuvant therapies, the tumor’s aggressiveness and resistance to standard chemotherapy make it a diagnosis that continues to defy therapeutic advances. These challenges have led researchers to focus increasingly on immunotherapy—particularly the use of therapeutic vaccines.
A New Principle: Immune Activation via mRNA
Therapeutic mRNA vaccines represent an innovative approach that aims not to prevent disease, but to treat an already diagnosed tumor. These vaccines use genetic information encoding so-called neoantigens—mutated proteins specific to a patient’s tumor—to activate the immune system, especially cytotoxic T lymphocytes, to target and destroy cancer cells.
A major advantage of this technology is its potential for rapid personalization based on the genetic profile of the individual tumor.
Autogene Cevumeran: Promising Phase I Results
One clinical application of mRNA technology is the personalized vaccine autogene cevumeran (BNT122), developed by BioNTech and Genentech. In a Phase I clinical trial, 16 patients received the vaccine after pancreatic cancer surgery. Neoantigens were identified via genetic sequencing of each patient's tumor and encoded into a custom mRNA vaccine, administered roughly 9 weeks post-surgery.
The treatment protocol included one cycle of atezolizumab (administered around week 6), nine vaccine doses (seven weekly starting week 9, then doses in weeks 17 and 46), and 12 cycles of mFOLFIRINOX chemotherapy starting in week 21. Half the patients showed strong T-cell responses, which correlated with prolonged recurrence-free survival (RFS). In this group, the median RFS had not yet been reached after 18 months of follow-up, compared to a median of 13.4 months in non-responders.
Encouraged by these results, a Phase II international study is underway, comparing standard chemotherapy alone with the combined approach (vaccine + immunotherapy + chemotherapy). The study spans 85 sites in the US, Canada, and Europe and aims to enroll at least 260 patients.
A Peptide Vaccine Without Individualization
Another investigational vaccine is ELI-002, a peptide-based vaccine targeting common mutations in the KRAS gene—mutations relevant in both pancreatic and colorectal cancers. ELI-002 aims to enhance the immune system’s response by activating T cells against residual tumor cells after initial treatment.
Final Phase I results (25 patients: 20 pancreatic cancer, 5 colorectal) showed robust and durable immune responses. Median RFS was 16.3 months and median overall survival (OS) was 28.9 months. The greatest benefit was observed in patients with strong KRAS-specific T-cell responses—this subgroup’s median RFS was not reached, compared to only 3 months in non-responders.
Other Types of Therapeutic Vaccines
Besides mRNA and peptide vaccines, research continues into other therapeutic vaccine platforms. These are not designed for disease prevention in healthy individuals, but rather for treatment or recurrence prevention in diagnosed cancer patients.
A 2022 review identified several experimental approaches: cell-based, peptide-based, DNA, protein, exosome, and genetically modified microorganism vaccines. Some of these methods have already shown promising early results in clinical trials.
Czech Republic: High Mortality, Limited Studies
Each year, roughly 2,400 new pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed in the Czech Republic, with over 90% mortality. According to 2021 OECD data, the age-standardized death rate was 22 per 100,000—27% higher than the European average.
Currently, no therapeutic mRNA vaccine trials are underway in the Czech Republic. Research here focuses mainly on early diagnostics. In 2024, the University of Pardubice launched a clinical study on a lipidomic blood test to detect tumor changes in at-risk individuals before symptoms appear. The study is conducted in collaboration with major oncology centers in Olomouc, Brno, and Prague.
Outlook: Toward Precision Oncology
The development of mRNA and other therapeutic vaccines marks a significant step toward individualized cancer treatment. While still in early stages, the first clinical results suggest that activating the immune system through targeted vaccines can help prolong recurrence-free survival and improve overall outcomes. Whether these strategies make it into routine care depends on ongoing international research and trial outcomes.
Editorial Team, Medscope.pro
Sources:
- Rojas L. A., Sethna Z., Soares K. C. et al. Personalized RNA neoantigen vaccines stimulate T cells in pancreatic cancer. Nature 2023; 618 (7963): 144–150, doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06063-y.
- Stallard J. In early‑phase pancreatic cancer clinical trial, investigational mRNA vaccine induces sustained immune activity in small patient group. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2025-02-19. Link
- ClinicalTrials.gov: IMCODE003 study – NCT05968326
- Wainberg Z. A., Weekes C. D., Furqan M. et al. KRAS-specific vaccine AMPLIFY-201 trial. Nat Med 2025 Aug 11, doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03876-4.
- Huang X. et al. Personalized pancreatic cancer therapy: mRNA vaccine perspective. Mil Med Res 2022; 9 (1): 53, doi: 10.1186/s40779-022-00416-w.
- OECD/European Observatory. Czechia: Country Cancer Profile 2025. OECD Publishing, Paris.
- GLOBOCAN 2022: Czechia Fact Sheet
- University of Pardubice: Clinical study of lipidomic test
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