World's First Lung Cancer Prevention Vaccine LungVax Enters Clinical Trials in 2026
Key Insights
Researchers at UCL and University of Oxford will begin the world's first clinical trial of LungVax, an experimental vaccine designed to prevent lung cancer by training the immune system to recognize and destroy early abnormal lung cells.
The phase I trial, funded with up to £2.06 million from Cancer Research UK, will start in summer 2026 and focus on high-risk individuals including early-stage lung cancer survivors and participants in NHS screening programs.
LungVax uses genetic instructions to help immune cells identify "red flag" proteins called neoantigens (search) and tumor-associated antigens (search) that appear on the surface of cells in the earliest stages of lung cancer formation.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) and the University of Oxford are preparing to launch the world's first clinical trial of an experimental vaccine designed to prevent lung cancer before it develops. The phase I trial of LungVax, scheduled to begin in summer 2026, represents a groundbreaking shift toward cancer prevention rather than treatment.
The four-year clinical trial has received funding of up to £2.06 million from Cancer Research UK, supported by the CRIS Cancer Foundation (search). The study will focus on individuals at high risk of lung cancer, marking a significant milestone in preventive oncology.
Targeting Early Cellular Changes
LungVax works by training the immune system to recognize abnormal lung cells before they progress into cancer. The vaccine targets specific "red flag" proteins known as neoantigens (search) and tumor-associated antigens (search) that appear on cell surfaces during the earliest stages of lung cancer formation. These markers result from cancer-causing DNA mutations and serve as molecular fingerprints of cells beginning to go off course.
Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani, co-founder and lead of the LungVax clinical trials from UCL Cancer Institute, UCLH, and the Francis Crick Institute, emphasized the urgent need for preventative strategies. "Fewer than 10% of lung cancer patients survive beyond ten years," she noted, highlighting that early intervention is key to changing these outcomes.
The vaccine uses genetic instructions delivered through a viral system based on the same ChAdOx platform used in the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This technology, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, enables the immune system to detect and destroy early abnormal cells before they progress into cancer.
Trial Design and Patient Population
The initial phase I trial will determine the optimal dose of LungVax and evaluate potential side effects from varying doses. The study will initially focus on individuals diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer who have had successful tumor removal but remain at risk of recurrence.
Additionally, the vaccine will be evaluated in participants undergoing lung cancer screening through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme in England. Researchers will closely monitor participants' responses to the vaccine, its ease of administration, and identify individuals who could benefit most in future applications.
Professor Sarah Blagden, co-founder of LungVax at the University of Oxford, described the project as "an opportunity to actively prevent a disease that has historically had very poor survival rates." She noted that years of research into the earliest biological changes in lung cancer will now be tested in clinical trials.
Clinical Context and Disease Burden
In the UK, approximately 48,500 new lung cancer cases occur annually, with around 72% attributable to smoking, which remains the leading preventable cause of cancer globally. The vaccine development builds on more than a decade of research, including insights from the TRACERx study that mapped how lung tumors evolve from their earliest stages.
Graeme Dickie, 55, from Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, is assisting with preparations for the LungVax trial. Diagnosed with stage II lung cancer in 2013 and progressing to stage IV by 2017 despite never having smoked, he has undergone lung surgery, over 80 rounds of chemotherapy, and is currently on the targeted drug mobocertinib.
"I am proof that research saves lives. I have been able to enjoy many more happy years with my family thanks to scientists working hard, year after year, to bring new tests and treatments," Dickie stated, emphasizing the life-saving impact of scientific advancements.
Future Implications
While preventative vaccines will not replace smoking cessation as the primary method of reducing lung cancer risk, they may offer a new approach to stopping certain cancers from developing. Should the trial produce encouraging outcomes, larger studies will be conducted to assess the vaccine's efficacy among a broader population at risk of lung cancer.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, expressed optimism about the future of cancer prevention: "We want to see a world where more cancers are prevented. We are now at a stage where our knowledge of the biology of cancer, built over years of painstaking research, opens new opportunities to prevent the disease."
The LungVax trial represents a pivotal step toward a future where people can live longer, healthier lives free from the threat of lung cancer, potentially transforming outcomes for high-risk individuals through early immune intervention.