Personalized cancer vaccines: Swiss Medical Network prepares for clinical trials

At its Genolier site, Swiss Medical Network is developing personalized therapeutic vaccines against cancer. The goal is to train the immune system of people with cancer to recognize and specifically fight tumor cells. The research is currently preparing to move into clinical trials in Switzerland.

The project is led by Prof. Lana E. Kandalaft, Chief of Clinical Translation and Research at Swiss Medical Network and a specialist in immunology and oncology. Unlike a preventive vaccine, this approach targets people who already have cancer. Each vaccine is based on the specific characteristics of the tumor in question, so the treatment is tailored to each individual.

The importance of such approaches is clear in the Swiss context. Around 48,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, and nearly 17,000 people die from it. Around 450,000 people live in Switzerland after overcoming a cancer diagnosis.

«We're bringing lab discoveries step by step closer to patients. Moving into clinical trials is a decisive part of that.» Lana E. Kandalaft

This work is part of Swiss Medical Network's research and innovation focus in Genolier. The Clinical Trial Research Unit brings together translational research and clinical trials.