Geneva-based researchers have received a prestigious honor for their groundbreaking work in personalized cancer treatment. A therapeutic vaccine, developed collaboratively by the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) and the University of Geneva, was awarded the 2026 Pfizer Research Prize on Thursday, recognizing its potential to revolutionize how advanced cancers are approached. The vaccine, which trains the body’s immune system to target tumors, demonstrated promising results in early human trials, offering new hope for patients with limited treatment options.
A personalized cancer vaccine, developed in Geneva, Switzerland, has been awarded the 2026 Pfizer Research Prize, the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) and the University of Geneva announced on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
The Pfizer Research Prize recognizes “exceptional” research conducted in Switzerland across oncology, infectious diseases, immunology, and digital health, awarding five prizes of 20,000 Swiss francs (approximately $22,000 USD) each.
A team of three scientists from the two institutions spent 15 years developing the therapeutic vaccine, which is designed to train the body’s immune system to identify and fight its own tumors. This approach represents a significant shift in cancer treatment, offering a potential alternative to traditional methods.
“While conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy have limitations in combating certain advanced cancers, immunotherapy and therapeutic vaccines have opened a new horizon of hope,” the research centers stated in a joint press release.
Improved Outcomes in Over Half of Patients
The study, published May 7, 2026, in the journal Cancer Research Communications, was tested on 34 patients with advanced solid tumors that had become resistant to other forms of treatment.
In the first-in-human trial, researchers administered six injections of the personalized vaccine to each patient over a nine-week period.
More than half of the patients showed clinical improvement, ranging from stabilization of their cancer to increased life expectancy, and experienced no significant adverse effects. “This is essential when you consider how aggressive conventional treatments can be,” said Eugenio Fernández, a physician in the Oncology Division of the University Hospital of Geneva.
However, further research is needed to confirm the treatment’s effectiveness on a larger scale, in earlier stages of cancer, and in combination with existing therapies. Securing funding for these advanced clinical trials is a key next step, according to Nicolas Mach, head of the Oncology Research Unit and the HUG Cancer Center.
“Advanced clinical trials require significant resources. Winning the Pfizer Prize is an important milestone… that will help attract the necessary support,” Mach explained.
A Vaccine Built From the Patient’s Own Tumor
The vaccine developed by the team utilizes a two-pronged approach: extracting tumor cells from the patient to help their immune system recognize and attack them, and implanting genetically modified human cells to stimulate that immune response.
“In recent years, many attempts at therapeutic vaccines have failed in combining tumor cells with effective immune system stimulation,” the press release noted.
The tumor cells are first inactivated with radiation, and then reintroduced to the body, providing the specific antigens needed for the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells as “foreign.”
“We give the immune system a complete action plan for potential targets,” explained Rémi Vernet, a researcher in the Department of Medicine at the University of Geneva.
In addition, capsules of genetically modified human cells are implanted under the skin, regularly releasing an adjuvant in the area surrounding the inactivated tumor to further stimulate the immune response.
“This immune-stimulating factor helps to rearm the immune system, especially when it has been weakened by previous treatments such as chemotherapy,” Fernández clarified.
EFE / Noticias Venevision
