Evaxion's AI-Powered Cancer Vaccine Demonstrates Impressive Results

Phase 2 trial shows 86% of vaccine targets triggered a tumor-specific immune response

Apr. 20, 2026 at 4:07am

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray photograph revealing the intricate molecular structure of a biological cell or complex, glowing with an ethereal, electric energy and conceptually representing the advanced technology behind Evaxion's personalized cancer vaccines.Evaxion's AI-powered platform precisely identifies the most therapeutically relevant targets for personalized cancer vaccines, as demonstrated by the high immune response rates in clinical trials.San Diego Today

Evaxion, a clinical-stage TechBio company, has announced new data from its phase 2 trial of the personalized cancer vaccine EVX-01. The results demonstrate that Evaxion's pioneering AI-Immunology™ platform was able to accurately identify and select the most relevant vaccine targets, with 86% of the targets triggering a tumor-specific immune response - a much higher success rate than previously reported. The data will be presented at the upcoming AACR Annual Meeting.

Why it matters

Evaxion's AI-powered approach to developing personalized cancer vaccines represents a significant advancement in the field. The high rate of relevant vaccine targets identified by the AI platform increases the likelihood of strong anti-tumor effects and positive clinical outcomes for patients. This data further validates the capabilities of Evaxion's technology and its potential to transform cancer treatment.

The details

The phase 2 trial of Evaxion's personalized cancer vaccine EVX-01 in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in advanced melanoma patients showed that 86% of the vaccine targets included in the personalized vaccine triggered a tumor-specific immune response. This is a much higher success rate than what has been reported for other methods. The data also showed durable vaccine-specific immune responses and a positive correlation between the AI-predicted scores of the vaccine targets and the magnitude of the immune responses, underscoring the predictive power of the AI-Immunology™ platform.

  • The phase 2 trial data will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, on April 22, 2026.
  • The one-year extension of the phase 2 trial was successfully completed earlier this month, with three-year clinical data expected to be presented in the second half of 2026.

The players

Evaxion A/S

A clinical-stage TechBio company developing novel vaccines with its pioneering AI-Immunology™ platform.

Merck & Co., Inc.

A pharmaceutical company that manufactures the anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA®, which is being used in combination with Evaxion's personalized cancer vaccine EVX-01 in the phase 2 trial.

Mads Lausen Nielsen

PhD, Project Manager at Evaxion and the presenter of the data at the AACR Annual Meeting.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Bigitte Rønø, CSO of Evaxion

What’s next

The phase 2 trial's one-year extension was successfully completed earlier this month, and three-year clinical data is expected to be presented in the second half of 2026.

The takeaway

Evaxion's AI-powered approach to developing personalized cancer vaccines has shown impressive results, with 86% of the vaccine targets triggering a tumor-specific immune response. This data validates the capabilities of the company's AI-Immunology™ platform and its potential to transform cancer treatment by providing more effective and targeted therapies.