Overview
- The phase 1 results were published July 16, 2026 in Cancer Discovery and report 20 high-risk volunteers received four doses of the peptide vaccine mKRAS-VAX over 13 weeks with a median 16.5-month follow-up.
- Eighteen of 20 participants, or 90 percent, mounted strong responses with a median 18.2-fold rise in mutant KRAS–specific T cells including both CD4 and CD8 cells and memory clones detectable up to two years.
- The vaccine was well tolerated with only mild-to-moderate side effects such as injection-site pain, fatigue, chills and flu-like symptoms that resolved without treatment.
- Exploratory imaging showed complete or partial regression of small pancreatic cysts in some people and no participant developed pancreatic cancer or a high-risk lesion needing surgery during follow-up, but the study was small and not designed to prove prevention.
- Investigators have launched tissue-focused studies and plan larger, longer trials to test clinical efficacy, and they disclosed licensing and financial ties to Adventris Pharmaceuticals alongside public funding from NCI, Stand Up To Cancer and the Lustgarten Foundation.