Lung Cancer Vaccine Released in US Soon; Cimavax Treatment Imported for Testing & FDA Approval

• comments
• 
• 

Cuba, known as one of the major exporter of cigars in the world, developed a superior lung cancer vaccine.

The Cuban Lung Cancer vaccine, known as Cimavax, is on its way to get approval from the FDA. The successful visit of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to Havana last April sealed an agreement between Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Cuba's Center for Molecular Immunology to recreate the vaccine that would be approved by the agency, reported USA Today.

According to Wired, Cimavax has been widely available and free to use for Cuban patients since 2011 because lung cancer is the fourth leading of death in the country. The vaccine slows down the lung tumors from growing and metastasizing and turns some late-stage tumors into something manageable. A 2008 trial showed that the Cuban patients who availed of the vaccine lived up to six months longer than those without the medication.

As for Cimavax being widely available for use in the United States, it may take some time before it is released to the public. The CEO of Roswell Park, Dr. Candance Johnson, submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application for FDA review and hopes that Cimavax obtains approval for testing in six to eight months and then start clinical trials this year, according to Medical Daily. During the trials, the medicine will be tested for effectiveness and safety.

Although there are many treatments for lung cancer available in the United States, such as Tarceva, Cimavax is a worthy pursuit because it is more affordable and has lower toxicity levels than other medication. Roswell Park Cancer Institute is also planning to find ways to make Cimavax a potential vaccine against lung cancer.

In radio talk show with WBFO, Johnson discussed her interest in exploring other possibilities for the drug.

"For example, this lung vaccine is used currently in Cuba to treat patients with lung cancer and seeing a survival advantage. So, let's back up a little bit. How about people who have stage one lung cancer in this country that are diagnosed," she said.

She added, "You have surgery. You treat the lung cancer. You're free of disease, but you're at high risk for recurrence. The cancer is going to grow back. Let's give the vaccine there. It's relatively non-toxic. You can take it without any side effects. Let's see if we can prevent recurrence."

"And let's just that works and we prevent recurrence and we show an efficacy in that setting, we could move back even further, and perhaps this vaccine may have value in treating heavy smokers or people with already chronic lung diseases that are at high risk for lung cancer."

So how did the Cubans manage to create the vaccine? According to Inquisitr, Cuba has the "best and most inventive biotech and medical research in the world" and Johnson said that it may be due to the innovation brought about by doing more with less.

"They've had to do more with less, so they've had to be even more innovative with how they approach things. For over 40 years, they have had a preeminent immunology community," said Johnson.