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Russia Personalized Cancer Vaccine Shows No New Tumors in Trial
science-and-technology

Russia Personalized Cancer Vaccine Shows No New Tumors in Trial

By Editorial Team•Nov 12, 2026 · 8:30 PM•3 min read
AI-generated representative image. A researcher handles a vaccine vial in a laboratory setting, illustrating the development of personalized mRNA cancer vaccine
Editorial Team
Editorial Team
Gamaleya's Neooncovac mRNA immunotherapy reports metastases disappeared in a four-month melanoma study, with expansion planned.

The first patient treated with Russia's personalized cancer vaccine has recorded no new tumors over a four-month trial period, according to the developer of the treatment. Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Research Institute and head of the Neooncovac trials, confirmed the patient's metastases have disappeared.

The 60-year-old man, diagnosed with stage-three melanoma, began receiving the vaccine in April at Moscow's Herzen Oncology Research Institute. Doctors continue to examine him monthly and plan to monitor his condition for another three years.

The development marks an early but significant milestone for mRNA-based personalized cancer treatment, a field researchers see as a fundamentally new approach to fighting the disease. Rather than targeting tumors directly, the vaccine is designed to train the immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells.

If the results hold through longer-term monitoring, the approach could reshape how advanced cancers are treated, with the program already set to expand across Russia and into other cancer types.

Early Trial Results

Gintsburg said in an interview with Gazeta.ru on Wednesday that the patient is doing well, with high-resolution CT scans showing no signs of cancer in his lymph nodes or elsewhere in his body. In July, the institute reported the patient had developed an immune response capable of fighting the cancer.

The first patient occasionally developed a fever of 38-38.5C during treatment, which subsided within hours after taking standard fever-reducing medication. A second patient, now halfway through treatment, has experienced no fever.

  • Six patients have received the vaccine so far.
  • Twenty patients are expected to be treated at the Herzen institute by the end of the year.
  • The program is set to expand to other Russian regions.

How the Vaccine Works

Neooncovac uses mRNA technology and is tailored to each individual patient. Researchers analyze genetic material from tumor and healthy tissue samples to develop a vaccine that trains the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

Andrey Kaprin, head of the National Medical Research Center of Radiology, has described the technology as a fundamentally new approach to cancer treatment, explaining that it aims to train the body's immune system to identify and destroy malignant cells rather than directly targeting tumors.

Cost and Program Expansion

The treatment is covered by Russia's compulsory health insurance system. Production of each personalized vaccine and the full course of therapy costs around 7 million rubles ($84,400) per patient, according to Gintsburg.

The Health Ministry has allocated funding to treat 120 patients this year and next, including follow-up monitoring. Researchers are also developing personalized vaccines against other forms of cancer, including pancreatic, kidney, bladder, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers.

What Comes Next

Doctors will continue monthly examinations of the first patient and monitor his condition for another three years. The trial program is expanding to additional patients and regions, while regulatory approvals for vaccines targeting other cancer types are planned for 2027.

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