The results of a clinical trial using a cancer vaccine based on universal amphopeptides, consisting of two peptides that trigger a T lymphocyte response to telomeres, have been presented.

In the first phase Ib, 15 patients with refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer were administered three different doses (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg), and the absence of dose-limiting side effects led to a phase IIa trial in 51 patients with a maximum tolerated dose of 1 mg.

CD4+ T-cell responses, the primary study objective, were observed in 56% of patients after three doses of vaccine and 87.2% of patients after six doses. Stable disease control of the cancer was observed in 21 (39%) patients, with one patient achieving a complete response. Overall, patients who had already failed three or more prior therapies had a one-year survival rate of 34.1% and a median survival time of 9.7 months.

The researchers emphasized that in patients with NSCLC who had failed various prior therapies, the cancer vaccine based on an amphopeptide achieved a very good immune response, was safe, and resulted in high one-year survival rates.