Evaxion’s EVX-01 Shows Record 86% Immune Response Rate in Phase 2 Personalized Cancer Vaccine Study

20 April 2026 | Monday | News

New data presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 highlights the precision of AI-Immunology™ in selecting effective tumor targets, reinforcing its potential to transform cancer vaccine development

  • New phase 2 data from personalized cancer vaccine EVX-01 demonstrates a record-high rate of vaccine targets triggering a tumor-specific immune response
  • The results reinforce that Evaxion’s pioneering AI platform, AI-Immunology™ accurately identifies and selects the most relevant vaccine targets
  • Data will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

Evaxion A/S , a clinical-stage TechBio company developing novel vaccines with its pioneering AI-Immunology™ platform, announces new data demonstrating that AI-Immunology™ identifies and selects the most therapeutically relevant vaccine targets. The data will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, on April 22, 2026.

86% of the vaccine targets included in Evaxion’s personalized cancer vaccine EVX-01 trigger a tumor-specific immune response. This is a success rate much higher than what has been reported for other methods. The high number reflects a broad yet specific immune response, increasing the likelihood of strong anti-tumor effect and positive clinical outcomes.

“We are delighted with the data demonstrating again the unique capabilities of AI-Immunology™ in identifying and selecting relevant vaccine targets. This is a further validation of the platform as an effective tool for developing potentially transformational treatments of cancer and other diseases,” says Bigitte Rønø, CSO of Evaxion.

Encouraging data
In addition to the 86% success rate, the new data set includes two-year analysis showing durable vaccine-specific immune responses following EVX-01 administration. Notably, high de novo responses (86%) were observed, meaning the vaccine gives rise to a high number of novel tumor specific T cells. This potentially increases the vaccine’s tumor killing ability.

Further, a positive correlation between vaccine target AI-prediction scores and the magnitude of the immune responses was demonstrated, underlining the predictive power of AI-Immunology™.

The new data stems from the phase 2 trial investigating EVX-01 in combination with MSD’s (Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA) anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced melanoma. Each patient enrolled in the trial received a unique vaccine designed and manufactured based on their individual biology. KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

The trial has already yielded encouraging two-year clinical data, including a 75% Objective Response Rate. Its one-year extension was successfully completed earlier this month with three-year clinical data expected to be presented in the second half of 2026.

 

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