Scancell Holdings PLC announced on Monday a strategic partnership with the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) to accelerate patient recruitment for the fourth cohort of its phase 2 SCOPE study, which is evaluating a targeted melanoma vaccine. The news sent Scancell shares up 19% to 9.79 pence in London trading.
The Oxford-based pharmaceutical company's collaboration aims to provide faster access for NHS patients with advanced unresectable melanoma to its investigational iSCIB1+ cancer vaccine, which will be tested in combination with standard immunotherapy treatments.
Vaccine Technology and Trial Design
The SCOPE trial will evaluate intradermal delivery of iSCIB1+, a second-generation, DNA-based Immunobody vaccine designed to stimulate a strong and lasting immune response. The vaccine codes for various melanoma antigens from gp100 and TRP-2 proteins identified from T-cells of patients who achieved spontaneous recovery from melanoma skin cancers.
Approximately 140 patients with advanced melanoma will participate in the study. While checkpoint inhibitors are the current standard treatment for this condition, they are only effective in about half of patients, leaving non-responders at risk of disease progression and metastasis. The addition of iSCIB1+ aims to improve these response rates.
Dr. Nermeen Varawalla, Chief Medical Officer at Scancell, emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating it "is an important step in accelerating the clinical development of this important new treatment."
Promising Clinical Results
Recent clinical data from an earlier version of Scancell's vaccine (SCIB1) administered by intramuscular injection has shown encouraging results. Data to be presented at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting will showcase outcomes from 25 patients, including:
- 84% disease control rate
- 80% progression-free survival (PFS)
- 20% complete response rate
- 72% objective response rate
These results suggest the vaccine's potential to deliver "meaningful long-term survival benefits," according to Scancell.
NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, launched a year ago, serves as a matchmaking service that assesses cancer patients receiving treatment in the NHS in England to determine their eligibility for cancer vaccine trials. Until now, the program has primarily focused on mRNA vaccines, reflecting its initial partnership with BioNTech.
The CVLP has already helped thousands of patients access trials of a personalised vaccine against bowel cancer, with more than 350 patients fast-tracked for consideration. Scancell noted that it is the first UK company to participate in the program.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Cancer Director, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion of the program: "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."
Trial Implementation
The CVLP partnership is being coordinated and run by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. The collaboration will enable NHS hospitals across the UK to participate in the SCOPE study, with eligible patients from around the country being referred to participating NHS sites.
Scancell expects the first patients to be referred from May 2025. This nationwide approach aims to significantly accelerate the recruitment process, potentially bringing this innovative treatment option to patients more quickly than traditional recruitment methods would allow.
Addressing Unmet Needs in Melanoma Treatment
Advanced unresectable melanoma remains a significant clinical challenge despite advances in immunotherapy. The five-year survival rate for patients with metastatic melanoma is approximately 25%, highlighting the substantial unmet need for more effective treatment approaches.
The iSCIB1+ vaccine represents a potential breakthrough in addressing this gap by enhancing the body's natural immune response against melanoma cells. By combining the vaccine with existing checkpoint inhibitors, researchers hope to overcome resistance mechanisms and improve long-term outcomes for patients with this aggressive form of skin cancer.
