Investigational mRNA Vaccine Shows Promise in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat, as symptoms typically only present themselves at the later stages. The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is often poor, reflected by a low relative survival rate of 13.7%. Despite extensive research on the disease, advances in pancreatic cancer treatment and research have been limited.

Recently, researchers have made significant progress towards developing a potential vaccine for pancreatic cancer. The study, led by Dr. Vinod Balachandran, is a phase 1 clinical trial study involving 16 patients. The initial results after tracking the patients over 3 years, published in 2025, did not show any promising results. However, Dr Balachandran presented new findings during the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting in San Diego in 2026.

After following the patients for 6 years, the study found that 8 out of 16 patients responded to the treatment. Of the 8, 7 of them are still alive. On the other hand, only 2 out of the 8 patients who did not respond to the treatment are still alive after 6 years.

“The latest data from this small study suggest vaccines can meaningfully stimulate the immune system in some patients with pancreatic cancer — and these patients continue to do well years after vaccination,” Dr Vinod shared.

An expert physician-scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. William Freed-Pastor, also commented on the findings, sharing that “the most important finding here is that the people who mount a response to the vaccine live longer than those who do not.”

However, experts have warned that this does not mean that a cure for pancreatic cancer is on the horizon. "You have to take this with a little perspective, this is not treating hundreds of thousands of people," Dr. Brian Wolpin, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the US, cautioned.

The research tested autogene cevumeran, a therapeutic mRNA cancer vaccine that is being developed and researched by BioNTech and Genentech. It is a form of immunotherapy which harnesses a person’s immune system to fight cancer cells.

Therapeutic vs. preventive vaccines

Autogene cevumeran is being developed as a therapeutic vaccine. In other words, it is not designed to prevent cancer itself but rather to prevent further cancer progression or cancer relapse. Comparatively, preventive vaccines are designed to prevent onset of diseases, such as influenza.

Following surgery to remove the tumors, genetic material is taken from the extracted tumors to produce the mRNA vaccine. This is a form of personalized medicine, in which the vaccine is personalized for each individual. In this phase 1 clinical trial, patients also underwent chemotherapy after receiving the vaccine.

Donna Gustafson was the first patient to participate in the trial. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019 at the age of 66.

“I was in shock, and my thoughts immediately went to my children,” she recalled. “We were saying to the doctor, ‘Are you sure? Did you come into the wrong room by mistake?’ But we were determined to do everything possible to beat this.”

When presented with the opportunity to participate in the clinical trial, Gustafson shared that “it was a no-brainer.” Over the next few months, she received 9 doses of the vaccine, an immunotherapy drug and underwent several rounds of chemotherapy. Today, Gustafson is 72 and living her life to the fullest.

“This is one of the hardest cancers to generate any immune response, let alone such a potent one,” Dr. Balachandran shared.

A larger phase 2 clinical trial has been launched by Genentech and BioNTech, the two drugmakers behind the vaccine. At the same time, Dr Balachandran and his team are continuing their research to better understand the specific processes taking place within the immune system.

“As we continue to learn more about how these vaccines work, there is a real belief and determination in the pancreatic cancer community that we can effectively treat this disease by training the patient’s own immune system,” Dr. Balachandran says. “But continued progress requires continued research and testing.”