New breast cancer vaccine clinical trial offered only in Arkansas

Early stage breast cancer patients have access to a new vaccine aimed at shrinking tumors prior to surgery. The vaccine was developed by Dr. Thomas Kieber-Emmons at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The vaccine is available on clinical trial being conducted by UAMS’ Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and Highlands Oncology Group in Northwest Arkansas.

“We are extremely optimistic about the potential of this vaccine and thrilled to collaborate with UAMS to offer it to our patients,” said J. Thaddeus Beck, M.D., oncologist and medical director of clinical research at Highlands.

“Clinical trials provide access to the latest treatments and are the key to discovering new, innovative treatments for the future,” said Courtney Simmons, director of clinical research at Highlands.

The vaccine was shown to induce antibody responses that are toxic to breast cancer cells during a phase 1 clinical trial at UAMS. Now in a phase 2 clinical trial, it is being tested in a greater number of patients at UAMS and Highlands to determine its effectiveness and safety.

Lindsay Shelby, phase 1 research coordinator at Highlands, regularly communicates with the research staff at UAMS to discuss patient screening and enrollment. This collaboration allows patients in Northwest Arkansas to receive the benefits of the vaccine without traveling to Little Rock.

The UAMS Cancer Institute and Highlands are the only facilities in Arkansas to offer phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials, which are the early testing phases used to determine a new therapy’s safety, dosage and side effects.

If the vaccine continues to show positive results, a phase 3 clinical trial will follow in hundreds or thousands of patients at multiple sites to compare its effectiveness with standard treatment.