Vaccitech, a biotechnology company launched by two leaders of the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine team, is deploying anti-coronavirus technology to revolutionize conventional cancer treatments. The company, founded by professors Sarah Gilbert and Adrian Hill, is financed by the venture capital wing of tech giant Google. It is using vaccine technology pioneered during the pandemic to treat non-small cell lung cancer. Clinical trials will begin this summer. The technology’s application on prostate cancer treatment is already underway, with “very promising” results seen in an initial study. Vaccitech is also developing “therapeutic vaccines” to treat rather than prevent diseases resulting from chronic viral infections such as hepatitis B. Hill said: “This technology has the potential to make therapeutic vaccination a standard and very cost-effective part of most cancer treatments.” Gilbert said: “For some cancers, vaccination to induce T cells could enable the body to destroy malignant cells in a very targeted way.” Vaccitech CEO Bill Enright said the company will know whether the technology is successful within two years. “It’s pretty revolutionary. If we can show proof of concept on the oncology side, it should have a huge impact,” he added.