GSK and Oxford join forces to research cancer-prevention vaccines

U.K. – GSK has partnered with the University of Oxford to launch a groundbreaking initiative aimed at identifying molecular changes in precancerous cells that could serve as the foundation for vaccines designed to prevent cancer before it develops.

The pharmaceutical giant has committed up to £50 million (US $62.5 million) over three years to fund the program, which builds on years of Oxford’s research into the cellular mechanisms that lead to malignancy.

The project, named the GSK-Oxford Cancer Immuno-Prevention Programme, focuses on neoantigens—proteins that appear on cell surfaces due to cancer-related DNA mutations.

These neoantigens represent promising targets for vaccines that could stop cancer progression in individuals at risk by intervening at the earliest stages of the disease.

This ambitious collaboration will involve scientists from GSK and Oxford conducting translational research.

It also builds on previous successes, including Oxford’s development of LungVax, the first vaccine designed to prevent lung cancer in high-risk individuals, and OvarianVax, a related project targeting ovarian cancer. Both vaccines are rooted in the same principles of targeting neoantigens.

GSK’s expertise in drug discovery, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning will be leveraged to accelerate the program’s progress.

While the primary objective is to develop cancer-prevention vaccines, the collaboration could also pave the way for new targeted cancer therapies, according to the partners.

Professor Sarah Blagden, from Oxford’s Department of Oncology, will lead the program alongside Dr. Timothy Clay and Dr. Ramon Kemp from GSK.

Expressing optimism about the partnership, Prof. Blagden said, “We are delighted to be collaborating with GSK in this important area of research, making sure that Oxford’s fantastic science benefits patients as quickly as possible. Working together, we will greatly accelerate translational research that could lead to the development of vaccines to prevent cancer in the future.”

This collaboration expands on an existing relationship between GSK and Oxford University, including the GSK-Oxford Institute of Molecular and Computational Medicine, launched in 2021.

That institute focuses on applying advanced technologies like functional genomics and machine learning to unravel disease processes.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle praised the new initiative, calling it an example of “world-leading universities and businesses working in lockstep [to] harness science and innovation to transform what’s possible when it comes to diagnosing and treating this disease.”