Cancer vaccine research is entering a new phase as leading scientists join forces to coordinate the next stage of progress in cancer immunity.
Scientific advances in immunotherapy, technology, and immune system targeting have moved therapeutic cancer vaccines from theoretical promise toward clinical reality. The field is now entering a coordination phase aimed at accelerating patient access.
Against this backdrop, more than 50 of the world’s leading cancer vaccine researchers, clinicians, and cross-sector experts are meeting for Transforming Cancer Care: A Global Think Tank to Accelerate Advances in Cancer Immunity, a first-of-its-kind effort designed to align priorities and advance progress across the field. The two-day think tank is organized by the Cancer Vaccine Coalition (CVC) in partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and hosted by HSBC Innovation Banking.
“This is a moment where coordination becomes the catalyst,” said Kristen Dahlgren, founder and CEO of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition, a breast cancer survivor, and former NBC TODAY Show and Nightly News correspondent. “I’ve seen the promising data from clinical trials. Patients need better therapies to help them beat cancer, and by working together, we can move advances through the system faster. With almost 1 in 2 of us expected to be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime, there’s no time to waste.”
The think tank brings together leaders from top academic cancer centers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as policy and regulatory experts to establish shared priorities and actionable strategies to accelerate cancer vaccine development and delivery.
“Current immunotherapies successfully treat 20% of the deadliest cancers by unleashing the power of cancer-killing T cells,” said Elizabeth Jaffee, MD, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and co-chair of the two-day think tank. “Vaccines have the potential to increase the success of these immunotherapies in the other 80% of deadly cancers by creating cancer-killing T cells. The last decade of scientific discoveries has propelled vaccines toward becoming the next generation of successful immunotherapies for cancer treatment and prevention.”
Throughout the think tank, participants are focused on identifying practical solutions to shared challenges, including:
Defining scientific priorities across cancer vaccine discovery, development, and implementation
Improving efficiency across research and clinical translation pipelines
Integrating emerging technologies such as AI-driven antigen prediction and novel delivery platforms
Aligning funding strategies, regulatory pathways, and policy frameworks
Establishing models for sustained global collaboration and equitable access
“AACR is honored to work with the Cancer Vaccine Coalition and the think tank sponsors to convene the top experts in the field this week,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of AACR. “By bringing together an international group of dedicated, renowned researchers and patient advocates who are able to contribute a wide range of perspectives and scientific knowledge, we hope to foster the next breakthroughs in cancer vaccine research so that people diagnosed with cancer will have the opportunity to live longer and better lives.”
Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 600,000 lives each year, while millions more live with the fear of recurrence. Cancer vaccines represent a potential shift in how cancer is treated, and, ultimately, prevented.
Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, with the goal of durable, long-term immune protection. Clinical trials are currently underway across multiple cancer types, including glioblastoma, melanoma, pancreatic, breast, ovarian, and liver cancers, with early studies showing promising signals of immune response and clinical benefit.
One such example is Brad Silver, who received a therapeutic cancer vaccine for stage IV glioblastoma in 2003. At the time, he was given just two months to live. Twenty-two years later, Silver is thriving.
“I am not supposed to be here,” said Silver, who was treated in an early stage clinical trial of DCVax-L at UCLA. “The world views a stage IV glioblastoma diagnosis as a death sentence, but I’m living proof that a different outcome could be possible thanks to this clinical research. I wish everyone facing cancer could have access to vaccine-based treatments.”