Amazon is taking the next step in healthcare – the shipping giant is reportedly working on a vaccine against cancer. A first clinical study is said to have already started.
Experts have suspected that Amazon has had the healthcare sector firmly in its sights for some time. So did economist Scott Galloway, who predicted in 2020 that Amazon “will be the world’s fastest growing healthcare company by 2025.” The latest report about the efforts of the mail order company in the health sector is hardly surprising. Accordingly, Amazon is involved in the development of a vaccine against cancer.
How Far Is Amazon’s Cancer Vaccine?
As reported by Business Insider, Amazon is working with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle on a vaccine against cancer. This could one day be used for skin and breast cancer. The main focus will be on stage IIC-IV melanoma and HER2-negative breast cancer.
However, the vaccine is currently in the testing phase. The Team is now looking for subjects for a clinical study. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved human testing. The aim is to develop an alternative to chemotherapy.
What Is Known About The Study?
According to the Business Insider report, the study is already in full swing. It is scheduled to continue until November 2023. For the first phase of the clinical study, 20 patients aged 18 and over are planned.
According to Business Insider, the FDA documents show that Amazon is also listed as an “employee” and Fred Hutchinson as a sponsor. Both sides have confirmed this information to BI.
What Does Amazon Say About Its Cancer Vaccine?
If implemented successfully, the planned vaccine could function similarly to vaccination against the coronavirus. The substance is supposed to train the immune system to recognize cancer cells and attack them accordingly.
But it could be quite a while before it is used in medicine. An Amazon spokesman told Business Insider that it was a “long, multi-year process.” Should progress be made here, the company would be “open to collaboration with other healthcare organisations.”
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