Cuba Has a Lung Cancer Vaccine—And America Wants It
Author: Neel V. Patel
Date of Publication: 05.11.15.
Time of Publication: 10:00 am.
Cuba Has a Lung Cancer VaccineAnd America Wants It
Cuba has for several years had a promising therapeutic vaccine against lung cancer. The 55-year trade embargo led by the US made sure that Cuba was mostly where it stayed. Untilmaybenow.
The Obama administration has, of course, been trying to normalize relations with the island nation. And last month, during New York Gov. Andrew Cuomos visit to Havana, Roswell Park Cancer Institute finalized an agreement with Cubas Center for Molecular Immunology to develop a lung cancer vaccine and begin clinical trials in the US. Essentially, US researchers will bring the Cimavax vaccine stateside and get on track for approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
The chance to evaluate a vaccine like this is a very exciting prospect, says Candace Johnson, CEO of Roswell Park. Shes excited, most likely, because research on the vaccine so far shows that it has low toxicity, and its relatively cheap to produce and store. The Center for Molecular Immunology will give Roswell Park all of the documentation (how its produced, toxicity data, results from past trials) for an FDA drug application; Johnson says she hopes to get approval for testing Cimavax within six to eight months, and to start clinical trials in a year.
How did Cuba end up with a cutting edge immuno-oncology drug? Though the country is justly famous for cigars, rum, and baseball, it also has some of the best and most inventive biotech and medical research in the world. Thats especially notable for a country where the average worker earns $20 a month. Cuba spends a fraction of the money the US does on healthcare per individual; yet the average Cuban has a life expectancy on par with the average American. Theyve had to do more with less, says Johnson, so theyve had to be even more innovative with how they approach things. For over 40 years, they have had a preeminent immunology community.
More:
http://www.wired.com/2015/05/cimavax-roswell-park-cancer-institute/
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(34,582 posts)Until big pharma figures out how to make a ton of money off of it.