August 15, 2025
The vaccine could be a game changer for Black people, who are disproportionately impacted by both cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, Black men and women have higher incidence rates and a greater likelihood of mortality compared to other racial groups.
A new study reveals promising results for a vaccine targeting colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) said patients developed “strong immune responses” to the new vaccine and have remained disease-free.
The new vaccine, ELI-002 2P, stimulates the immune system to target the most common cancer-driving mutations, as identified by researchers. Researchers say the vaccine can trigger powerful and lasting immune responses that could help prevent or delay cancer recurrence in high-risk patients. For context, researchers found that the median relapse-free survival was 16.33 months and the median overall survival was 28.94 months, both of which exceed historic norms.
“This is an exciting advance for patients with KRAS-driven cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, where recurrence after standard treatment is almost a given and effective therapies are limited,” said first author of the study, Dr. Zev Wainberg, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “We observed that patients who developed strong immune responses to the vaccine remained disease-free and survived for much longer than expected.”
Key Results In Vaccine Targeting Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers
Doctors followed 25 patients with either pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or colorectal cancer. All the patients had previously undergone surgery and showed signs of minimal residual disease, or traces of cancer DNA in the blood that often signal relapse.
Each patient received a series of injections with the vaccine. One key finding is that 84% of patients generated KRAS-specific T cells, which could target cancers that are difficult to treat. Another key finding is that in 24% of patients (a total of 6), biomarkers associated with the tumor were cleared entirely.
“Targeting KRAS has long been considered one of the difficult challenges in cancer therapy,” said Wainberg in a statement. “This study shows that the ELI-002 2P vaccine can safely and effectively train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer-driving mutations. It offers a promising approach to generating precise and durable immune responses without the complexity or cost of fully personalized vaccines.”
The vaccine could be a game-changer for Black people, who are disproportionately impacted by both cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, Black men and women have higher incidence rates and a greater likelihood of mortality compared to other racial groups. They are approximately 20% more likely to be diagnosed and about 40% more likely to die from the disease.
Regarding pancreatic cancer, Black Americans have the highest incidence rates among all racial and ethnic groups. Studies show that the incidence is 50% to 90% higher in African Americans compared to other groups, according to the National Institutes of Health. Black patients are also more frequently diagnosed at later stages, which complicates treatment.
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