London, United Kingdom – June 12, 2026

A world‑first clinical trial is launching to test LungVax, an experimental vaccine designed to prevent lung cancer in people at high risk of the disease. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 20 % of cancer deaths each year.

Study Design and Scale

The Phase I trial, funded by Cancer Research UK and the CRISPR Foundation, will enroll 500 participants aged 55‑75 with a history of heavy smoking and pre‑cancerous lung lesions identified on low‑dose CT scans. Participants will receive two doses of LungVax, administered six weeks apart, and will be followed for four years to monitor immune response, safety, and incidence of new lung cancers.

"Lung cancer is lethal and blights far too many lives. Survival has been stubbornly poor for decades. LungVax is our chance to do something to actively prevent this disease," – Prof. Sarah Blagden, Professor of Experimental Oncology, University of Oxford and co‑founder of the LungVax project.

The vaccine uses a viral‑vector platform similar to the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID‑19 vaccine, delivering a synthetic antigen that mimics early cancer‑associated proteins. Pre‑clinical studies in mouse models showed a 70 % reduction in tumor formation when vaccinated before exposure to carcinogens.

Key Findings from Pre‑clinical Work

• Immune priming: In vivo studies demonstrated robust CD8⁺ T‑cell activation against mutant KRAS and EGFR epitopes.
• Safety profile: No serious adverse events were observed in animal models; mild flu‑like symptoms were the most common reaction.
• Tumor incidence: Vaccinated mice exhibited a 70 % lower incidence of lung tumours compared with controls over a 12‑month observation period.

"Fewer than 10 % of people with lung cancer survive their disease for 10 years or more. That must change, and that change will come from targeting lung cancer at the earliest stages," – Prof. Mariam Jamal‑Hanjani, University College London, trial lead.

Implications for Public Health

If LungVax proves safe and effective, it could be rolled out to high‑risk populations worldwide, complementing existing screening programmes and potentially reducing the global burden of lung cancer by up to 15 % in the first decade of deployment.

Sources

• LungVax trial announcement, University of Oxford press release, June 2026.
• Cancer Research UK funding announcement, June 2026.
• DDW Online article "2026 trial will test LungVax, the first vaccine to prevent lung cancer", accessed July 2026.