Regional media highlights UC pancreatic cancer vaccine trial

Regional media highlighted the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center being the first site in the Midwest enrolling patients in a new Phase 2 clinical trial testing a vaccine to treat pancreatic cancer. 

Davendra Sohal, MD, site principal investigator, said this trial builds on the same mRNA technology that was used to develop vaccines for COVID-19.  

"In addition to the standard surgery and chemotherapy, they also get this very personalized vaccine created using their own tumor profile,” Sohal, associate director for clinical research at the Cancer Center and professor of internal medicine in UC’s College of Medicine, told Local 12.

The vaccine is developed in about four to six weeks while patients are recovering from surgery, and patients are then given six weekly injections of the vaccine. Following six months of standard chemotherapy, patients then receive six more vaccine injections as boosters.

In the Phase 1 trial, Sohal said eight out of 32 patients were completely cured of their cancer.

Watch or read the Local 12 story.

Read the WCPO story.

Read the Spectrum News story.

Read the WLWT story.

Read the Becker's Hospital Review story.

Read the WDTN Dayton story.

Read the WDRB Louisville story.

Read more about the trial.

For more information on the trial, please call 513-584-7698 or email cancer@uchealth.com.

Featured photo at top of a vaccine being administered. Photo/National Cancer Institute/Unsplash.