World’s first ovarian cancer vaccine: University of Oxford awarded £600,000 for OvarianVax

Researchers at the University of Oxford have received a grant of up to £600,000 from Cancer Research UK to develop the world’s first vaccine to prevent
ovarian cancer.

Named OvarianVax, the innovative vaccine aims to train the immune system to recognise and attack the earliest stages of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer among women in the UK, with approximately 7,500 new cases diagnosed annually—equating to about 21 cases each day.

It is also a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, with around 4,100 deaths each year, accounting for five per cent of all cancer deaths in UK females.

Projections suggest that by 2038-2040, there could be around 9,400 new cases of ovarian cancer annually in the UK.

Several factors influence a person’s risk of developing ovarian cancer, including age, genetics, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), smoking, asbestos exposure,
medical conditions such as endometriosis or diabetes, and obesity.

Faults in the inherited genes, particularly BRCA1 and BRCA2, are linked to a higher risk of ovarian cancer, contributing to 5-15 per cent of cases.