lunes, 23 de marzo de 2009

Cuban Drug Raises Survival Rate in Brain Tumor Operations

HAVANA, Cuba, March 23 (acn) Cuba is broadening the use of a biological drug, produced locally, which has raised the survival rate of people who have undergone brain tumor surgery, especially children.

A Prensa Latina report explains that the drug, named Nimotuzumab (CIMAher), was produced by experts at the Molecular Immunology Center (CIM) in the island. It consists of a monoclonal antibody that inhibits the tumor growth and has been proved effective in the treatment of head
and neck tumors, when applied in combination with chemotherapy.

It is currently used on children in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, City of Havana, Villa Clara, Camagüey, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba, and is currently registered in several countries of Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

CIMAher has been denominated an "orphan drug" by the European Medicines Agencies (EMEA) for the treatment of gliomas (a type of cancer that tarts in the brain) and pancreas cancer; and by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for gliomas.

The term orphan drug refers to a pharmaceutical agent that has been developed specifically to treat a rare medical condition.

Researches continue in Cuba to determine if the drug is equally efficient for the treatment of other solid tumors such as breast, prostate, pancreas and lung cancer.

(Biofármaco cubano aumenta supervivencia de pacientes)

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