Cuban Academy of Sciences develops vaccines for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer- Vaxira and CIMAvax. This latest type of vaccine that can treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has undergone phase 3 clinical validation and has a good effect on non-small cell lung cancer. It has now entered clinical applications in Cuba and Peru. The results of this exciting research enabled former U.S. President Barack Obama to lift a 55-year trade ban after visiting Cuba, and introduced the latest anti-cancer technology to the United States in 2015. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the United States to conduct a clinical trial of a lung cancer vaccine developed in Cuba, which can stimulate the lung cancer patient’s own immune system.
What is CIMAvax ?
CIMAvax-EGF is a lung cancer treatment that was developed in Cuba. It is a type of immunotherapy that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight lung cancer. In 2017, Roswell Park initiated a clinical trial involving CIMAvax. Trial is a Phase I/II study of CIMAvax-EGF in combination with the anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo®) in patients previously treated for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
How does CIMAvax work ?
Developed by researchers at the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana, Cuba, CIMAvax-EGF blocks a type of protein — epidermal growth factor (EGF) — that cancer cells need to grow. It does not kill cells directly, cancerous cells or otherwise, but “starves” them by preventing EGF from attaching to its proper receptor (EGFR) on the cell. This connection is required for the cell to grow and proliferate. Without it, the cancer cell does not multiply, and dies. CIMAvax blocks EGF by manipulating the patient’s immune response.
A “carrier protein” in CIMAvax triggers the immune system to produce antibodies against the EGF protein to neutralize it. This depletes circulating EGF from the blood, depriving the cancer cells of this important key to growth and survival.
More than 5,000 lung cancer patients have been treated with this unique immunotherapy, and several international studies have indicated prolonged tumor stabilization and improved overall survival and quality of life for patients receiving CIMAvax. CIMAvax is an approved treatment for lung cancer in Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Paraguay and Peru.
What is Vaxira ?
Vaxira® is a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is composed of Racotumomab and aluminum hydroxide adjuvant.
Racotumomab is an anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody which induces in the patients a potent immune response against specific glycolylated gangliosides (NeuGcGM3) present in the tumor cells. Vaxira® increases the survival of NSCLC patients in recurrent or advanced stages (IIIB/IV) compared to best supportive care. Vaxira® is well tolerated and its safety profile is acceptable. Most common adverse events are localized (at the site of administration), mild and transient.
Even those patients who were immunized with Vaxira® after their disease progressed have shown improvement in overall survival.
Formulation: Each vial of VAXIRA® contains: mAb Racotumomab 1.00 mg, aluminum hydroxide [Al(OH)3] 5.00 mg, tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane 12.14 mg, sodium chloride 3.40 mg, water for injection qs 1.0 ml. Vaxira® is an immunotherapeutic agent composed of the anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody Racotumomab and aluminum hydroxide (AH), a widely used adjuvant. AH enhances the production of antibodies, but is neither immunogenic nor a hapten. It behaves as a depot at the site of injection from which the antigen is released slowly and, at the same time, it induces the formation of granulomas that attract immunocompetent cells such as antibody-producing plasma cells. AH may directly stimulate monocytes to produce proinflammatory cytokines that can activate T cells, and it may also stimulate the B cell response.
How to buy CIMAvax and Vaxira in India ?
CIMAvax and Vaxira at present are not available in India. These vaccines need to be ordered for personalized treatment. To order the medicine please WhatsApp patient details to +91 96 1588 1588.
