Cuba Patents New Lung Cancer Vaccine
HAVANA TIMES — Cuba has just patented a vaccine for the treatment of lung cancer. The new medicine, “Racotumomab,” was developed by the Center of Molecular Immunology, reported Cuban Information Agency.
“No one can say that this vaccine represents the cure for the disease, but it does increase life expectancy and the quality of life by reducing tumors,” explained specialists, who were interpreting the results of clinical trials carried out last year in 86 countries.
This is the second vaccine of its kind, after CimaVax EGF, and it’s expected that it will soon be put to use in polyclinics across the island. In addition, it’s being introduced in Argentina for subsequent export to that South American nation.
Lung cancer is the disease with the second highest in incidence in Cuba and is the number one cause of death. Currently, an estimated 5,000 people on the island are in advanced stages of the ailment.
Elio Delgado said in a recent article that, due to the social advances accomplished by the Castro-led Revolution, the Cuban population doubled. You want facts? This one suggests that the Castros have done a remarkable job of “supporting” the Cuban people.
You got it backwards.
Nobody who supports the Castros truly supports the Cuban people.
This is not a ‘petty argument’. The lousy arguments come from you. I’m just pointing that – to counter-argument based on something I didn’t say is a fallacy.
I am not interested in getting into one of your petty arguments over what-you-think-I-think-you-said.
Stop whining about how much you hate me & Moses and post some fact based comments.
Exactly, that’s what I was talking about “first-page Google results”.
And you again come to fallacies: I never suggested that ‘Cuba alone is responsible for this discovery’, only the obvious fact you are trying to undermine the capability of Cuba’s bio-medicine industry. Straw-man again, man.
Alas, you are the one who should provide proof that Recombio was the ‘lead organization’ in this research, not a ‘partner’ as its own website says.
“I support Cuban people”
No you don’t. Otherwise you would NEVER support and justify the blockade. Hypocrite.
Clearly you doubt the sincerity of my questions. Nonetheless, I am grateful to Griffin for his response. Telling the truth, as Griffin did in his comment, illuminates the desire of Cuban media to turn the commendable into the stupendous. For a poor country of 11 million people, any medical advance is noteworthy. If but one life is saved or prolonged because of this vacine, the effort is justified. Remember, Luis, I disagree with the Castros but I support Cuban people.
Luis, if you can present some facts to back your assumption Cuba alone is responsible for this discovery, please do so. The Spanish firm Recombio was the lead organization in this research, which included significant contributions from Cuban & Argentine scientists.
http://www.recombio.com/
I don’t know what’s funnier: Moses the master of the fallacy of authority here asking a question he should’ve known better, or Griffin’s desperate attempt to diminish the importance of Cuba’s bio-medicine industry with first-page Google results. Even AFP acknowledges what’s written here. Who’s the propagandist again?
Moses,
The relevant Cuban patent law is codified in this legislation, dating from 1995:
Decree-Law No. 160 in respect of Patent Applications concerning the Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Products for the Agriculture
A search of the published papers on “Racotumomab” shows a history of research carried out in Cuba, Argentina, Spain, Singapore and Brazil. The principle researcher(s) in these papers were from Argentina, Spain and Cuba.
It is not clear from the report above precisely what was patented and by whom. The drug “Racotumomab” has been widely studied for several years. Most likely, the patent pertains to a process for producing the drug in a specified useable form, and for an indicated treatment regime. Given the lead financial involvement of the Spanish pharmaceutical company Recombio in this research, it is also likely the patent involves licensing the drug in various countries in a partnership with Recombio.
The Cuban medical science community can be rightly proud of their contribution toward the development of this drug. However, it is unfortunate that the regime propagandists feel obliged to puff this up to a “Cuban” discovery, with scant mention of the leading roles played by Spanish and Argentine researchers.
A more accurate headline would be, “Spanish Pharmaceutical company Recombio patents new cancer treatment drug in Cuba, Argentina and elsewhere.”
The title of this post uses the word “patent”. Merriam-Webster defines patent as “protected by a trademark or a trade name so as to establish proprietary rights analogous to those conveyed by a patent”. With whom does Cuba register this patent? Does Cuba respect international patent law?