Russia Nears Clinical Use of Its Cancer Vaccine

Following three years of regulated preclinical trials and achieving a high effectiveness rate of between 60 and 80 percent for its Enteromix cancer vaccine, the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) has requested permission from the Ministry of Health for its clinical use.

The vaccine's objective is to reduce the size of tumors and halt their progression. It will initially be tested on patients with colorectal cancer, with specific adaptations made for each individual case, the FMBA stated.

A Technologically Independent Vaccine

According to the portal MedPath, the Enteromix vaccine utilizes four non-pathogenic viruses—likely modified enteroviruses—with a dual function: to destroy malignant cells (oncolysis) and to activate a stronger anti-tumor immune response.

The project emerged from a collaboration between the National Medical Research Center for Radiology (NMRRC) of the Russian Ministry of Health and the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology (EIMB), which is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Trials

Since June 2025, Enteromix has entered Phase I of clinical trials in humans. This initial phase involves an open-label, single-center study conducted at the NMRRC, all amid significant commercial pressures described as part of an economic war with the West.

48 volunteers with solid tumors who had not responded to previous standard treatments participated in this trial, Sputnik Mundo reported at the time.

So far, the vaccine has shown very low toxicity in this initial phase, reinforcing its preliminary safety profile.

Should the trials progress positively, the treatment could be provided free of charge in Russia, even though its cost abroad could reach up to three thousand dollars per dose, the same source highlighted.