For the first time, people at high risk of lung cancer can participate in a clinical trial of an experimental vaccine designed to prevent the disease. Led by University College London and the University of Oxford, this groundbreaking trial marks a major step in cancer prevention . Unlike conventional treatments, which target cancer after it develops, the vaccine aims to train the immune system to recognise early abnormal lung cells and eliminate them before they form tumours. By intervening at the earliest stages, researchers hope LungVax could significantly reduce the incidence of lung cancer and improve survival rates. This historic trial has the potential to transform approaches to one of the world’s deadliest cancers.


Understanding early lung cancer and the LungVax phase I trial

Lung cancer remains one of the most lethal forms of cancer, with survival rates stubbornly low despite decades of research. In the UK alone, around 48,500 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year, and approximately 72% of these cases are linked to smoking, the largest preventable cause of cancer globally. Researchers have now pinpointed the biological mechanisms behind the early formation of lung cancer in smokers, identifying abnormal proteins called neoantigens and tumour-associated antigens that appear on the surface of lung cells at the earliest stages of cancer development.

By understanding these early cellular changes, scientists are now able to develop vaccines that teach the immune system to recognise and attack abnormal cells before they progress into malignant tumours. The LungVax clinical trial has been awarded up to £2.06 million in funding from Cancer Research UK , with additional support from the CRIS Cancer Foundation. This funding will support a four-year Phase I trial, designed to establish both the safety and the optimal dosing of the vaccine.

Phase I trials are primarily concerned with safety, side effects, and identifying the appropriate dosage. In this trial, researchers will carefully monitor how participants respond to LungVax, documenting any adverse effects and observing the immune system’s response to the vaccine. Subject to regulatory approvals, the trial is expected to begin in summer 2026.



How LungVax works

Unlike conventional cancer therapies, which often target tumours after they have developed, LungVax is a preventative vaccine. Lung cancer cells differ from healthy cells in that they display unique ‘red flag’ proteins on their surface, produced by mutations in the cell’s DNA. These proteins are called neoantigens and tumour-associated antigens.

The LungVax vaccine contains genetic instructions that teach the immune system to recognise these abnormal proteins. Once trained, the immune system can identify and destroy early-stage cancer cells before they form full tumours. The vaccine builds on mRNA technology first refined during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling safe and effective delivery of these instructions to the body’s immune cells.

Professor Sarah Blagden, co-founder of LungVax from the University of Oxford, explains that this is a unique opportunity to actively prevent lung cancer. “Years of research into the biology of cancer, understanding the earliest cellular changes, will now be put to the test. Our hope is that LungVax will allow people to receive preventative protection against this lethal disease,” she said.


Target groups for the initial trial

The Phase I trial will initially focus on two groups of participants:

• Individuals diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer who have had the tumour surgically removed but remain at risk of recurrence.
• People undergoing routine lung cancer screening under the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme in England, who may be at high risk of developing the disease.
• If the trial demonstrates safety and promising immune responses, the vaccine could progress to larger clinical trials, ultimately reaching a wider population at risk of lung cancer.

While smoking cessation remains the most effective strategy to reduce lung cancer risk, vaccines like LungVax offer a complementary approach. By targeting cancer at its earliest stage, these interventions could significantly improve survival rates and reduce the burden of lung cancer worldwide. With the launch of this historic trial, the medical community is taking its first step towards a future in which lung cancer prevention is not just a possibility but a reality.