Preventive vaccines (like HPV) stop cancer before it starts. Therapeutic vaccines treat existing cancer. The mRNA cancer vaccines and therapeutics market research shows that preventive vaccines are the largest segment, because they're easier to develop and have a clearer regulatory path. But therapeutic vaccines are the fastest‑growing — because they address huge unmet need in advanced cancers.

What's the difference? Preventive vaccines target viral antigens (HPV, hepatitis B). Therapeutic vaccines target tumour‑specific neoantigens — unique mutations found only on cancer cells. The mRNA cancer vaccines market trends highlight that combination therapies (mRNA vaccine + checkpoint inhibitor) are the most exciting, because they attack from two directions.

Challenges: Manufacturing personalised vaccines takes 6‑8 weeks — too slow for some aggressive cancers. And not all patients respond — tumours can mutate to evade the immune system.

The takeaway: preventive mRNA vaccines (for high‑risk individuals) could be a game‑changer. Therapeutic vaccines are still evolving, but they offer hope for patients who've failed other treatments.