Ferg Morrissey 💜

A new vaccine against pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers, prompted an immune response in 99% of the patients whose responses could be measured. Most pancreatic cancers are driven by mutations in the KRAS gene. The vaccine, called camupepimut and developed by Elicio Therapeutics, is designed to train the immune system's T cells to recognize seven of the most common KRAS mutations. In a phase 2 trial led by Mayo Clinic oncologist Ben George, 144 patients who had already completed surgery and chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine or to be observed without it. Among the 90 vaccinated patients who could be evaluated, 89 developed T cells that targeted mutated KRAS. In more than 80% of them, the response was over nine times stronger than at baseline. Patients with the strongest immune responses tended to remain cancer-free for longer. A larger phase 3 trial is planned, and it may include booster doses and combinations with other drugs. [George B, Singh H, Devoe CE, et al. Lymph node-targeted, mKRAS-specific amphiphile vaccine in pancreatic cancer: the randomized phase 2 AMPLIFY-7P trial. Nature Medicine. 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04734-7]

Did you know? Gary Sinise, known for his role as Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump, has raised over $400 million to support wounded veterans.