The recent thawing of relations between the Unites States and Cuba is opening the door for a new lung cancer vaccine to come stateside. The vaccine, called CimaVax, was developed by the Center for Molecular Immunology in Havana, Cuba, and is designed to treat lung cancer. CimaVax is an injection given to adults who are at high risk of getting this cancer, such as heavy smokers or people who have already had surgery to remove a lung tumor. It isn’t the kind of preventative vaccine given to children.

Now that diplomatic relations are normalizing between the United States and Cuba, part of that effort involves an agreement with CMI to bring CimaVax to Buffalo, New York’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute for testing. If all goes well, CimaVax would be available for public use in about five years. CimaVax trials have already been conducted in Cuba on about 1,000 people, and an additional 4,000 people have been tested in Europe. READ MORE


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