CimaVax-EGF: Cuba Announces Release Of First Lung Cancer Vaccine

After 25 years of research, Cuban officials have begun production on a vaccine for lung cancer, China's Xinhuanet reported.

The vaccine, or CimaVax-EGF, works through the active drug ingredient, which is based on "a protein we all have when cancer is uncontrolled," as the publication reported.

CimaVax-EGF isn't a preventative vaccine, but attacks the already-existing cancer in a patient, PopScience elaborated.

The vaccine has allegedly been tested on 1,000 patients in Cuba, but it's difficult to verify. If so, it could greatly improve the outlook of patients with what is widely regarded as one of the most deadly and common forms of cancer.

Gisela Gonzalez, head researcher of the project, told the Chinese news source that she is optimistic for the drug's future.

"The drug could turn the cancer into a manageable, chronic disease by generating antibodies against the proteins which triggered the uncontrolled cell proliferation. It is not possible to prevent the disease but this vaccine improves significantly the status of the critically ill patients."

More than 14 other forms of cancer are currently in trials for vaccines in the US, and only two of those are preventative vaccines.

Although the medical advancement is difficult to confirm 100 percent, there have been significant strides forward in cancer research last month. One of which is a new treatment which has been found to almost completely eradicate leukemia. The next step for that treatment is test it on different types of the cancer, which could include other types of tumors.

The drug Xalkori was also approved earlier this month in the United States for treating the advanced, deadly form of lung cancer for a select group of patients, an idea in line with personalized medicine, the Associated Press reported.

Right now, lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 158,683 deaths from the cancer in 2007.

Comments

[mia poloda]

08:39 PM on 10/02/2011

Hi, my name is Mia. my friend got a lung cancer. he lives overseas and is desperately looking for a cure. he thinks that vaccine could help him. we've been reading all the articles online about the new vaccine in Cuba, but we got no contact info such as a telephone number or an e-mail. we want to talk to someone who's gonna assist us and tell us how can we get in touch with Cuban medics. If anyone knows any kind of contact information about that new vaccine please let me know. Every minute is important for my sick friend. And your help may as well give him a hope to recover. [e-mail] Am gonna check my e-mail often hoping that i got a response.

[cowanln]

10:56 AM on 09/09/2011

This sounds like a great breakthrough, but why does the article say that "It is impossible to prevent the disease" Making "Living with it" the only option? I mean this feeds the conspiracy theories that drug manufactures don't want cures they want users.

[onionboy]

11:56 AM on 09/09/2011

And the statement is wrong. It's actually very possible to prevent the disease...don't smoke. That cuts our chance by about 85%. Avoid second-hand smoke, and you cut your chances by 99+%. Because of genetics and radon, you won't get to 100%, 99+% is as good as any childhood vaccine in terms of risk after exposure.

[Kristina Renda]

05:54 PM on 09/14/2011

Your statement is not only untrue, but it's also exactly what has kept Lung Cancer so underfunded for decades. 80% of newly diagnosed Lung Cancer patients are NON SMOKERS. Where did you find those statistics? Just curious.

[notalwaysfittoprint]

10:49 AM on 09/11/2011

You may be on to something. Like manufacturers of goods that could last a long time but have a built-in obsolescence so people have to re-purchase the same item.

[cowanln]

12:10 PM on 09/11/2011

Thats a great poing. I really hope I'm wrong, but cures just aren't happening despite a lot of money being thrown at research.

[NoraHuffposter]

10:27 AM on 09/09/2011

And yet more promising news in cancer treatment this year! I look forward to reading more about CimaVax-EGF.

[PedroLeon]

06:51 PM on 09/08/2011

Rather than embargoing Cuba, we should be collaborating on research! It's odd how we do seemingly limitless business with China, yet scream "Human rights!" with our Caribbean neighbor to the south.

[onionboy]

11:59 AM on 09/09/2011

It does happen with regard to scientific collaboration, but it's limited. I've had two faculty, on two separate occasions, from my institution go to Cuba within the last 10 years to engage in some research collaboration. The problem is that we can't engage in anything that actually allows the exchange of materials (cell lines, antibodies, etc.). It is about time we loosened up, given the the records of some of our favored trade partners.

[notalwaysfittoprint]

10:51 AM on 09/11/2011

Cuba, a small country with few resources finds the funds to do meaningful research to benefit humans. We in the U.S. squander our money and resources on wars, dismantle social programs, and continue to develop a "dog eats dog" society.

[ThinkCreeps]

05:03 AM on 09/12/2011

In terms of the numbers of cancer drugs developed, Cuba, with one, is probably punching its weight.