In a development that has caught the global medical community by surprise, Russia is set to launch experimental trials of a personalized cancer vaccine for melanoma patients in the coming months.
The announcement marks a major step forward in personalized cancer treatment, with the vaccine specifically tailored to the genetic profile of each patient.
The trial, expected to start soon, will initially focus on melanoma cases, according to Russian health officials.
This unexpected move is seen as part of Russia’s growing investment in cutting-edge healthcare innovations.
The trial will be the first time this highly personalized vaccine is administered to human patients.
Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, confirmed that the vaccine trials are about to begin.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, Gintsburg said, “In the coming months, the first patient will begin, on an experimental basis, to receive treatment with the personalized, domestically-produced cancer vaccine.”
He further explained, “According to the plan we have now agreed upon with the Ministry of Health, in the coming months, we will begin experimentally using the cancer vaccine, which is based on neoantigens, for a group of patients with melanoma.”
According to Kurdistan24, the vaccine’s development was fast-tracked after Russian President Vladimir Putinannounced in late 2024 that the country had created a cancer vaccine, which would be available to patients by 2025.
The project is a joint initiative involving the Gamaleya Center, the P.A. Herzen Moscow Oncology Research Institute, and the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology.
While the Gamaleya Center is responsible for vaccine production, clinical use will take place at the Herzen and Blokhin centers.
Gintsburg explained, “That is why the government issued a corresponding decree at the beginning of the year, in which it established completely different rules that are being used for the first time.”
Despite being in its early stages, the innovation has already attracted international attention.
Gintsburg noted, “We are finding a common language and common ground, and we are moving forward with our work.”
He also confirmed that the center had received “dozens of letters of inquiry from other nations.”
The cost of the vaccine is also making headlines.
According to TASS, each dose is priced at around $3,800, which equals 300,000 Russian rubles, as revealed by Andrey Kaprin, head of the National Medical Research Radiological Center.
According to 2024 data, over 4.1 million people in Russia have been diagnosed with cancer.
While still in the early stages, this trial could reshape how cancer treatment is approached in the country and beyond.
If successful, it may offer new hope for patients facing melanoma and, potentially, other types of cancer in the future.
