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WE’RE FUNDING THE NEXT BIG LEAP IN PREVENTING OVARIAN CANCER

We’re excited to announce that Ovarian Cancer Action is increasing our investment in the groundbreaking OvarianVax project – awarding a grant of over £350,000 over the next three years to help bring this world-first ovarian cancer prevention vaccine closer to reality.

Why it matters

Ovarian cancer is claiming too many lives. Delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options, and a high rate of recurrence are costing women their futures.

7,500 women are diagnosed every year, with many more at risk because they carry a genetic fault like BRCA 1/2.

For them, OvarianVax could be revolutionary: a vaccine designed to stop ovarian cancer before it starts. Thousands of lives could be saved.

Ahmed and Ovarian Cancer Action

L-R: Professor Ahmed Ahmed, Cary Wakefield (CEO of Ovarian Cancer Action), Marie-Claire Platt (Director of Research and Policy), Faye Hobbs (Research Manager)

The breakthrough

Over a decade of research by Professor Ahmed at Oxford, funded by Ovarian Cancer Action, has led to this. Scientists discovered that immune cells in the fallopian tubes, where most ovarian cancers begin, can actually “remember” cancer cells.

Why does this matter? It means these cells can potentially be trained to recognise and destroy cancer before they have a chance to develop. It could stop cancer before it truly begins.

The new funding

A breakthrough like this requires a huge amount of development and funding, and we’re excited to be collaborating with Cancer Research UK to bring these big steps to life:

  1. Optimise the vaccine’s “instruction manual” – getting the mRNA code in the perfect order to trigger the strongest immune response.
  2. Build the delivery system – using lipid nanoparticles (tiny fat bubbles!) to safely carry that code into the body.
  3. Get the vaccine ready for clinical-grade production, the final step before human trials can begin.

An easy way to think about it

Imagine writing a letter to tell your immune system:

  • First, you need the words, and then you need to order them correctly to make a message.
  • Once you have your message, you need a safe envelope to deliver it.

OvarianVax is both the message and the delivery system – and both parts need to work perfectly to teach the immune system to prevent cancer. This is what the research aims to create.

So, what’s next?

With this funding boost, the OvarianVax team can move more quickly towards clinical trials, potentially starting with BRCA+ women in as little as five years. And in the long run? This vaccine could change the future for millions of women worldwide.

We’re proud to back science that doesn’t just treat cancer but could stop it before it even begins.

“After a decade of Ovarian Cancer Action funding, what once felt impossible is now within reach. Research that brings real hope for a future free from this devastating disease. So many lives could be saved by this work, and we're incredibly proud to be a part of it.”

Cary Wakefield, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Action

However, none of this would happen without your support. With every donation, you’re taking us one step closer to a world where an ovarian cancer vaccine is a possibility for every woman.

Additionally, if you'd like to talk about funding opportunities to be part of creating the world's first ovarian cancer vaccine, please contact fundraising@ovarian.org.uk.

More about OvarianVax