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Cuba has approved the world's first vaccine against lung cancer
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In Cuba, the world's first medical vaccine against lung cancer has been approved, writes Xinhua.
The development of the CimaVax-EGF vaccine by the specialists of the Center for Molecular Immunology in Havana lasted 25 years. This drug is an analogue of epidermal growth factor (EGF), necessary for the growth and spread of cancer cells. When it is used, the immune system attacks cells that produce EGF, resulting in a significant slowing of the growth of the tumor.
In clinical trials involving about a thousand patients, the addition of CimaVax-EGF to conventional chemotherapy statistically significantly prolonged the life of patients. "This drug can turn cancer into a manageable chronic disease by developing antibodies against proteins that trigger uncontrolled cell division," explained the development manager Gisela Gonzalez.
However, publications on clinical trials of vaccines, published earlier, have caused skepticism of international experts about the feasibility of its use.
However, in Cuba, CimaVax-EGF was approved for use in patients with stage 3 and 4 cancer, which was not helped by conventional treatment, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Hospital patients receive it for free.
In Cuba, where smoking is extremely common, about 20,000 people die of lung cancer each year. In 12 of the country's 15 provinces, the disease is the leading cause of death.
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