Russian researchers announced that the first melanoma patient treated with the personalized mRNA vaccine Neooncovac has completed treatment and shown no new tumor growth over four months of monthly monitoring, as reported by Gazeta.ru and cited by Vietnam.
Tracking Clinical Trials in Moscow
The patient, a 60-year-old man diagnosed with stage III melanoma that spread beyond the primary tumor, began receiving Neooncovac in April at the Herzen Moscow Oncological Research Institute.
Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Research Institute, confirmed that the patient’s lymphatic metastasis disappeared following the mRNA regimen.
Doctors use high-resolution CT scans to monitor lymph nodes and check for recurrent disease. Everything about him is normal. As of yesterday, the patient showed no signs of new cancer cell growth, said Gintsburg.
During treatment, the first patient experienced temporary fevers reaching 38 to 38.5 degrees Celsius. These fevers subsided within hours after taking standard fever-reducing medication.
A second patient is halfway through the ten-dose vaccination schedule without experiencing any fever.
Neooncovac Uses Synthetic mRNA to Train Immune Systems
Neooncovac uses synthetic mRNA tailored to an individual patient. Andrey Kaprin, head of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, explained that this approach trains the body’s immune system to identify and destroy malignant cells rather than targeting the tumor directly.
Researchers create the vaccine by analyzing genetic sequences from tumor tissue and healthy tissue samples.
Six patients have received the vaccine so far. The Herzen institute aims to treat 20 patients by the end of 2026.
Russia’s Ministry of Health allocated budget funds to treat and monitor 120 cancer patients through this and next year.
Specialists Seek More Data on Long-Term Efficacy
Independent specialists said that clinical findings offer promising results. Long-term efficacy across larger patient populations requires further evaluation.
What remains unknown is how these early findings will translate to long-term survival across larger patient populations.