Lung Cancer Vaccine

Known as CimaVax EGF, the vaccine helps prolong the life of patients. Sixty percent of the patients treated with the vaccine have a continued life span of 12 months in comparison to only six to seven months with only chemotherapy.

Another 30 percent of the patients treated have survived up to an amazing 22 months to two years while an astounding 10 percent have managed to continue living a good life for five to six years. Best of all, there are very minimal side effects unlike chemotherapy. There have been no reports of hair loss or organ damage.

According to Dr. Gisela Gonzalez Marinello, the Cuban Centre of Molecular immunology Project manager, since it is still in the clinical trial stage, doctors are still treating their patients together with chemotherapy. To top it off, Malaysia has become the next clinical testing ground after Cuba, United kingdom and Canada since Semptember last year.

In Malaysia, Bioven Sdn Bhd is responsible to cover the local market and the rest of South East Asia. Its chief executive officer Dr W. Shermal Perera and Datuk Mukriz mahathir were instumental in bringing the vaccine down for Malaysia’ very first clinical trial organised by a Malaysia biotech company. It is currently being tested at 10 hospitals throught the country and they hope to find more patients willing to test the vaccine because the more patients they have, the faster the vaccine will go out to the market.

Dr. w. Shermal Perera and datuk Mukriz were both responsible in bringing the vaccine for Malaysia’s very first clinical test. They are about the fact that this is the first time Malaysia will go through a clinical trial period organised by a malaysian company. Thanks to Datuk Mukriz and the Cuban Ambassador, His excellency Signor Carlos A Romores, for helping to bring the product to Malaysia. If the succed with Malaysia and the clinical trials are approved by the regulatory bodies, the next plan is to go into Europe to conduct the trial there. Dr. Perera has also confirmed that Bioven would absorb all coasts for the treatment of patients using the vaccine, which amounted to seven to eight million Ringgit during the clinical trial period.

The vaccine creates an immune response inpreventing the growth of cancer cells by blocking the epidermal growth factor. Dr Elia neninger, a clinical oncologist with the Hermanus ameijeiras Hospital of Cuba states that the immune response is the main factor for the veryminimal side effects because the human body naturally blocks the cancer growth. He further adds that the vaccine’s effectiveness in becoming a preventive medicine for cancer, so no test had been done to eveluate its effects. They do not want to tamper with the human body. The epidermal growth factor is normal in human beings.

Dr. Neringer explained that because cancer patients have an excessive epidermal growth, so they put a stop to it to ensure their longevity. According to Dr. Perera, local experts who are administering the vaccine on the their patients were very enthusiastic with the results. However, he cautioned that this still a test drug. It has not been registerd in this country yet though it has been registered in Cuba.