Preclinical studies of the anticancer vaccine CaTeVac completed in Russia

Preclinical stage completed

Preclinical studies of the Russian dendritic-cell anticancer vaccine CaTeVac have been successfully completed; documents are now being prepared to obtain approval for its production and clinical use. This was reported by the office of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, as Gazeta.Ru relays, citing TASS. The drug's developer is the N. N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology.

Who will receive it and when

Use of the vaccine is expected to begin in 2027 in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas. According to the developers' concept, the drug trains the patient's immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells. Golikova's office clarified that in the future CaTeVac may also be used for kidney cancer, melanoma and primary tumors of the central nervous system, as well as for malignant solid tumors where standard treatment options have been exhausted. Life.ru also reports these details.

How the vaccine works and what is happening with other developments

CaTeVac belongs to the class of dendritic-cell vaccines: it is made using the patient's own immune cells, which are prepared to recognize tumor antigens. Unlike preventive vaccines, this therapy is intended to fight an already diagnosed disease. It is not the only Russian anticancer vaccine in the pipeline: Life.ru previously reported that the personalized mRNA vaccine 'Onkorna' for treating colorectal cancer is planned to be included in the compulsory medical insurance program from 2027 — patients with medical indications will be able to receive it at the expense of mandatory medical insurance. Earlier, it was also announced that new cancer vaccines were being developed and a timeline was set for creating a vaccine for about 20 patients with melanoma. The publications do not state the current status of CaTeVac's clinical trials or the exact timeline for obtaining approvals.