Cancer vaccine trial participant says it helped prevent her recurrence

Chase Johnson, treated for triple-negative breast cancer in 2021, received an experimental a-lactalbumin vaccine as part of a Phase 1 trial and remains cancer-free years after surgery; researchers report immune responses in most participants and the vaccine is moving into Phase 2 testing.

Chase Johnson was diagnosed with stage 2b triple-negative breast cancer in early 2021 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. After standard treatment left no detectable disease, she enrolled in a Phase 1 trial and received a three-dose experimental a-lactalbumin vaccine. She is one of about 35 women in that initial study and says she believes the vaccine helped prevent a recurrence. Researchers report the trial tested safety and immune response rather than long-term effectiveness. Key points: - Johnson received the three-dose a-lactalbumin vaccine in late 2022 as part of a Phase 1 safety trial for women at risk of recurrence. - The vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to target a-lactalbumin, a protein present in many triple-negative breast cancers. - Trial investigators reported that 74 percent of participants developed an immune response and that no serious adverse events were detected; common reactions included redness or a lump at the injection site. - The programme will advance to a randomized Phase 2 trial with about 80–100 women to test whether the vaccine reduces recurrence when given with standard treatment versus standard treatment alone. Summary: A participant in a Phase 1 trial reports remaining cancer-free several years after treatment and believes the experimental a-lactalbumin vaccine contributed to that outcome. Initial trial results showed immune responses and acceptable safety in many participants, but data on whether the vaccine prevents recurrences have not yet been published. The vaccine will enter Phase 2 testing to measure effectiveness, and company officials say wider availability remains years away.