First patient receives ZI-MA4-1 therapy at Manchester's Christie hospital

A woman with advanced ovarian cancer became the first person in the world to receive the ZI-MA4-1 therapy at The Christie hospital in Manchester. The treatment is part of a clinical trial testing its use across several cancer types.

By Andrew McBride1 min read

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Tracy Tomlinson, a 58-year-old from Chadderton, Oldham, received the ZI-MA4-1 therapy at The Christie hospital in Manchester. The treatment is being evaluated in a clinical trial for ovarian, lung, sarcoma and head and neck cancers.

The therapy uses donor-derived natural killer cells engineered to target tumours producing the Mage-A4 protein. It is designed as an off-the-shelf treatment manufactured in advance from a single batch.

Tomlinson was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer in 2020 and has undergone surgery and multiple chemotherapy courses. She currently has a tumour between the liver and kidney and additional small tumours elsewhere.