Advanced melanoma patients in England are set to be fast-tracked into a clinical trial of a new skin cancer vaccine after the NHS partnered with Oxford-based Scancell to widen access across the country.

The phase 2 SCOPE study, co-ordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, will evaluate Scancell’s iSCIB1+ (Immunobody) in patients with advanced unresectable melanoma receiving standard-of-care immunotherapy treatments.

The incidence of melanoma, a type of skin cancer that develops when pigment-producing cells located in the skin grow uncontrollably, has been rising steadily over the past few decades, with the disease now accounting for approximately 4% of all new UK cancer cases.

Around half of patients respond to immunotherapy, but those who do not are at an increased risk of disease progression.

iSCIB1+ is given as a needle-free injection and is designed to boost the immune system’s response to immunotherapy, helping it stop the disease returning.

The NHS has worked with Scancell to increase access for patients at an initial seven hospitals across the country, with the first patients expected to be referred next month.

Potential participants will first need a blood test to look for the presence or absence of genes which control how the immune system works.

Scancell’s chief medical officer, Nermeen Varawalla, said: “Cancer vaccines have the potential to transform immunotherapy, redefine treatment options and ultimately save lives.

“Recent clinical data has demonstrated that our potent, tumour-targeted ‘off-the-shelf’ cancer vaccine delivers strong efficacy, with the potential for meaningful long-term survival benefits in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.”

The trial is part of NHS England’s Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, a ‘matchmaking’ service that helps find treatments for patients at their nearest participating hospital.