BioNTech's Colorectal Cancer Vaccine Trial Ends in Disappointment
BioNTech's shares surged after Moderna and Merck announced impressive results for their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. However, this momentum came to a halt when BioNTech terminated its Phase 2 study of autogene cevumeran in treating colorectal cancer due to a lack of efficacy.
The setback raises questions about the mRNA vaccine's prospects in pancreatic cancer, which is also a 'cold' tumor like colorectal cancer. However, it's too early to write off BioNTech's chances in pancreatic cancer. The company continues to evaluate autogene cevumeran in another Phase 2 study targeting pancreatic cancer.
BioNTech co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Özlem Türeci stated that the company remains committed to mRNA as a key pillar in its oncology strategy, and its novel combination approaches.