Will a Cuban Lung Cancer Treatment Come to the US?
Cimavax is an immunotherapy lung cancer treatment that was developed in Cuba and may become available in the United States after testing. It attacks a hormone that encourages tumors to grow. This is done by creating a protein known as EGF, or epidermal growth factor, which already exists in the human body. Unlike preventative vaccines that are used to stop epidemics, the lung cancer vaccine is given to patients with certain kinds of cancer in order to stop tumor growth.
Cuban scientists indicate that the tumors are essentially being starved by the monthly shots which create the immune response. The treatment is already approved in Peru as well as Cuba. Although it is by no means a cure for lung cancer, it may improve outcomes among patients and give them longer survivability while other treatments are pursued.
Many Clinical Trials Before General Availability
Of course, there needs to be a lot of testing for any drug, including one like Cimavax which produces what appears to be a positive outcome. Any biotech or immunotherapy drug needs to be carefully reviewed because it may have side effects in specific groups of people, or create other conditions. Here in the US, a trial could start within six to eight months after getting approval.
Potential for Breast Cancer, Pancreatic or Liver Cancers?
The natural question about Cimavax is whether there are other cancer treatments that would benefit from its usage, or if other tumors are similar enough to lung tumors in order to warrant a clinical trial. Nations like Japan, Peru, and Canada are testing the drug in their own trials, and the ability for the US and Cuba to share information as well as trade ties could lead to a relatively inexpensive drug being made available for the tens of thousands of people who suffer from lung cancer every year.