Daily Newsletter

13 May 2024

Daily Newsletter

WestGene wins FDA nod to study mRNA vaccine to treat certain cancers

The FDA has given an IND approval for WestGene’s mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine as mRNA cancer vaccine development rises in popularity.

Akosua Mireku May 10 2024

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an IND to conduct a clinical trial that evaluates an mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine developed by China-based biotech WestGene.

As per the company, this decision marks the world’s first approval to study an mRNA therapeutic to treat Epstein Barr (EB)-virus-related cancers.

The IND approval was based on results from investigator-initiated trials that evaluated the vaccine in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and natural killer T cell lymphoma.

EB virus is a part of the herpesvirus family and spreads primarily through bodily fluids. The illness infects more than 90% of the global adult population but does not always lead to cancer, as detailed by Cancer Research UK. The virus has been linked with NPC, gastric cancer, lung cancer and other diseases. In a 10 May press release, WestGene highlighted liver cancer, oesophageal cancer, breast cancer and the aforementioned diseases as potential future indications for the vaccine.

The Chinese company has a pipeline that includes four infectious disease vaccines, seven anti-tumour immunotherapies, and three gene editing treatments amongst other therapies.

In 2010, the FDA approved Dendreon Pharmaceutical’s prostate cancer prophylactic Provenge (sipuleucel-T) as the first marketed therapeutic cancer vaccine. Since its approval, other therapeutic cancer vaccines have entered the US market, with eight being available in the US, according to GlobalData.

GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology.

In 2021, Pfizer and BioNTech gained the first-ever FDA approval for an mRNA vaccine with Comirnaty (BNT162b2) as a preventative measure against Covid-19. Since this milestone, several preventive and therapeutic mRNA vaccines have been in development for a wide range of conditions.

Some pharmaceutical companies are using the mRNA approach to develop vaccines for other infectious diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Influenza A, Influenza B and cytomegalovirus while companies, including Moderna, Curevac, and Cartesian Therapeutics, are developing therapeutic mRNA vaccines for treating different cancers.

Correction: The headline and first three paragraphs of this article have been updated to reflect that the WestGene received an IND approval to study the vaccine. An earlier version incorrectly stated that the vaccine has been approved.

Acne Vulgaris (AV) Market Overview

GlobalData's latest report offers a data-driven overview of the current and future competitive landscape in AV therapeutics. Our epidemiologists estimated more than 403 million diagnosed prevalent cases of AV in 2023 in the 16 countries covered in GlobalData’s epidemiology forecast for AV. The R&D activity is moderate within the AV space, with total 13 molecules present in the late-stage pipeline. The US is emerging as the key country for conducting AV trials.

Acne Vulgaris (AV) Market Overview

GlobalData's latest report offers a data-driven overview of the current and future competitive landscape in AV therapeutics. Our epidemiologists estimated more than 403 million diagnosed prevalent cases of AV in 2023 in the 16 countries covered in GlobalData’s epidemiology forecast for AV. The R&D activity is moderate within the AV space, with total 13 molecules present in the late-stage pipeline. The US is emerging as the key country for conducting AV trials.

Acne Vulgaris (AV) Market Overview

GlobalData's latest report offers a data-driven overview of the current and future competitive landscape in AV therapeutics. Our epidemiologists estimated more than 403 million diagnosed prevalent cases of AV in 2023 in the 16 countries covered in GlobalData’s epidemiology forecast for AV. The R&D activity is moderate within the AV space, with total 13 molecules present in the late-stage pipeline. The US is emerging as the key country for conducting AV trials.

Acne Vulgaris (AV) Market Overview

GlobalData's latest report offers a data-driven overview of the current and future competitive landscape in AV therapeutics. Our epidemiologists estimated more than 403 million diagnosed prevalent cases of AV in 2023 in the 16 countries covered in GlobalData’s epidemiology forecast for AV. The R&D activity is moderate within the AV space, with total 13 molecules present in the late-stage pipeline. The US is emerging as the key country for conducting AV trials.

Acne Vulgaris (AV) Market Overview

GlobalData's latest report offers a data-driven overview of the current and future competitive landscape in AV therapeutics. Our epidemiologists estimated more than 403 million diagnosed prevalent cases of AV in 2023 in the 16 countries covered in GlobalData’s epidemiology forecast for AV. The R&D activity is moderate within the AV space, with total 13 molecules present in the late-stage pipeline. The US is emerging as the key country for conducting AV trials.

Newsletters by sectors

close

Sign up to the newsletter: In Brief

Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Thank you for subscribing

View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network.

close