Cuba has had a Lung Cancer vaccine for years

Cuba’s been sitting on a breakthrough cancer treatment. Now it’s going to test it out in America.

This week, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo, New York signed an agreement to import a Cuban lung cancer vaccine. The drug CimaVax helps treat symptoms and recurrence, said institute director Candace Johnson, when she returned Tuesday from a two-day trade trip to the island. 

“Lung cancer patients have a very high risk for recurrence. You have one nodule, you know you are maybe going to be get another nodule. You could take perhaps this vaccine that could help prevent a recurrence.” The institute will conduct clinical trials of CimaVax in the United States and seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Johnson said. Cuban scientists will also visit Buffalo to help with testing and research.

There’s also potential for importing Cuban medicines treating other conditions.

One drug Heberprot-P helps treat diabetic foot ulcers. It’s used in 18 countries, and is undergoing trial in the European Union, but the embargo has kept it out of the US.