New hope for men. This is a revolution in cancer treatment

Scientists from Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trustled by prof. Johanna de Bonopresented the results of early phase trials of the drug VIR‑5500which could change the way advanced prostate cancer is treated. This is a new type of immunotherapy, the so-called “T-cell engager“, i.e. a drug that brings immune cells exactly to where the cancer is hiding.

The mechanism of action is surprisingly clever. VIR‑5500 is engineered antibody linkerwhich brings prostate cancer cells and the so-called ““killer T-cells” — specialized cells of the immune system responsible for destroying threats. Under normal conditions, cancer can hide from them, but the cure literally hides it brings both types of cells closer togetherforcing the immune system to attack. What’s more, the VIR‑5500 activates itself only inside the tumorthanks minimizes side effectswhich were a big problem in previous generations of similar therapies.

In a phase one study funded by Vir Biotechnology58 men with advanced prostate cancer whose bodies stopped responding to other treatment methods took part. Until 88% of patients experienced only mild side effects — which in itself is a major success for this type of immunotherapy.

However, the most impressive results are related to biomarkers, including the so-called PSA (prostate-specific antigen), the level of which is a reliable indicator of whether a given patient may have prostate problems, including cancer (however, it is not an independent criterion for diagnosis). In the group of 17 patients who received the highest dose, as many as 82% saw their PSA levels drop by at least halfouch 53% PSA dropped by over 90%. AT 29% the decline was almost 100%. These are the results that Prof. de Bono described as “unprecedented” in a disease previously considered extremely resistant to immunotherapy.

Even more spectacular was the case of a 63-year-old patient whose prostate cancer had already developed and also attacked the liver. After six cycles of therapy all 14 cancer lesions in the liver disappeared.

Experts from outside the project also emphasize the importance of the discovery. Prof. Charlotte Bevan from Imperial College London points out that this may be the beginning of a completely new class of drugs for men with advanced disease. On the other hand Simon Grieveson Prostate Cancer UK reminds that in Great Britain alone, prostate cancer kills over 12,000 people. men per year, so “every breakthrough is worth the weight of a lifetime“It is also worth emphasizing that in the UK, since 2018, the number of deaths from prostate cancer has begun to exceed the number of women dying from breast cancer.