Cuba Distributes First Lung Cancer Vax in Hospitals without Charge

Cuban medical authorities have launched the distribution of CimaVax-EGF, the world's first lung cancer vaccine, in Cuban hospitals free of charge.

Cuba has launched the sales of the world's first therapeutic lung cancer vaccine last week after 25 years of research at the Center of Molecular Immunology in Havana, according to Xinhua. For now, the vaccine remains on Cuba alone, distributed free of charge in hospitals.

"The drug could turn the cancer into a manageable, chronic disease by generating antibodies against the proteins which triggered the uncontrolled cell proliferation," said Gisela Gonzalez, head researcher of the vaccine, as quoted by Xinhua.

The vaccine, CimaVax-EGF, is based on "a protein we all have when cancer is uncontrolled," and will be used for stage three and stage four lung cancer patients who have not responded to traditional chemotherapy and radiother