BioNTech agrees to support access to cancer immunotherapy trials

BioNTech SE and the UK government have jointly agreed to provide up to 10,000 patients with personalised cancer immunotherapies by 2030.

Signing of this agreement builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in January. The partnership will provide cancer patients with improved access to the latest cancer trials and therapies currently being developed.

This follows the government’s response to a review of clinical trials in May, plus a £121 million commitment towards improving and speeding up commercial clinical trials, including delivering a comprehensive and mandatory national approach to contracting.

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Deemed a “landmark new agreement” by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the UK-based clinical trials will focus on personalised mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies.

BioNTech SE has already begun conducting clinical trials in the UK. Further trials will be launching although most patients are expected to be enrolled from 2026 onwards.

Developing the innovative cancer immunotherapies

To help deliver this development of these cancer immunotherapies, BioNTech plans to set up a regional hub in England and new laboratories, expected to have a capacity for over 70 scientists in Cambridge.

The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP), a new partnership led by NHS England, will create a database of eligible NHS cancer patients who will be offered the choice to take part in personalised cancer vaccine trials. The project aims to help patients with early and late-stage cancers. If successfully developed, this means cancer vaccines could become part of standard care.

Therefore, patients will be given “the earliest possible access to cutting-edge technology that has the potential to change cancer care forever,” stated Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of the NHS.

“We are truly honoured to be an integral part of this landmark partnership… If successful, this collaboration has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with cancer not just in the UK, but also worldwide,” Professor Uğur Şahin, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioNTech responded.