Simavax therapeutic vaccine against cancer registered in Belarus

Simavax (CIMAvax-EGF) therapeutic cancer vaccine has been registered in Belarus, BELTA reports citing the Belarusian Ministry of Health.

“It was developed and produced by the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) of Cuba and has been available to its population since 2011. CimaVax-EGF is a therapeutic vaccine against metastatic lung cancer, which in some cases can increase the survival rate of patients with advanced stage of the disease. It induces an immune response of specific antibodies that recognize EGF and inhibit its binding to membrane receptors, avoiding the initiation of proliferation mechanisms. CIMAvax-EGF consists of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (EGF) conjugated to a protein carrier,” the ministry said.

The vaccine is being tested in clinical trials in Europe, the US and Japan. More than 6 thousand patients in the world, who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, have already received treatment with this drug. Simavax is currently registered in Cuba, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peru and Paraguay.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that this is the first and only vaccine registered in Belarus for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. The product is indicated for maintenance therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (IIIb/IV) after first-line chemotherapy and with a high concentration of epidermal growth factor in serum.