2024-03-22 19:36:52
Biontech became known for its corona vaccination. The company’s first cancer drug is scheduled to be sold in 2026.
Everyone is now familiar with mRNA technology. Thanks to the corona vaccinations. But originally it was a promising approach, especially for cancer therapy. Now the pharmaceutical company Biontech is announcing exactly that: its first cancer drug is scheduled to come onto the market in 2026. So is this the longed-for vaccination against cancer? And what exactly can we hope for?
Augsburg oncologist speaks of a “giant step” with Biontech drug
Yes, it is really a positive innovation, “a giant step in cancer therapy,” confirms Professor Martin Trepel. The experienced oncologist is the director of the interdisciplinary cancer center at the University Hospital of Augsburg. Because what has been hoped for a long time now seems to be at least within reach: “a vaccination against cancer is coming”.
A therapeutic vaccination, i.e. one that can help seriously ill people. Preventative vaccinations against cancer already exist. This is only mentioned here in passing. It is the vaccination against human papilloma viruses, or HPV for short, which is particularly important for young people and is intended to protect against cervical cancer, among other things. And that against hepatitis B viruses, a preventative measure against liver tumors.
Immune cells are specially trained and cancer cells are better recognized
But now, from 2026 onwards, a vaccination will probably be able to be administered intravenously, as Trepel explains, which will enable the cancer cells in the body to be better recognized, attacked, reduced and, in the best case, completely eradicated. This works with mRNA technology because it is able to literally train the immune cells and specifically target the cancer cells. As is well known, cancer cells are particularly nasty cell types, against which immune cells are often powerless because they cleverly hide themselves. This is the only way they can carry out their destructive work. But now they are essentially supposed to be stopped. As a result of this development, Trepel expects more efficient therapy, for example for black skin cancer, but also for breast, prostate and colon cancer.
A very individualized therapy
In addition, work is also underway on a very individualized vaccination that is even more focused on combating the cancer tissue of an individual patient. Trepel assumes that patients with pancreatic cancer will particularly benefit from this.
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