The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorized Moderna and the University of Oxford to begin a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. This trial investigates an mRNA cancer vaccine.
The vaccine, mRNA-4194, targets individuals with Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome is a hereditary condition. It significantly increases the lifetime risk of various cancers, including colorectal and endometrial.
The study is named the INTERCEPT-Lynch trial. It marks Moderna's first program focused on cancer prevention. The trial aims to assess the vaccine's safety. It also evaluates its ability to provoke an immune response.
The vaccine seeks to train the immune system. This training aims to recognize and eliminate pre-cancerous cells before they develop into tumors. The University of Oxford sponsors the trial. Moderna funds the trial. It expects to dose the first participant this summer.