Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, USA.
MEDICC Rev. 2018 Apr;20(2):35-39. doi: 10.37757/MR2018.V20.N2.8.
In 1961, the USA severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, and in 1962 an embargo was imposed on trade and financial relations with that country. It was not until five decades later that the USA and Cuba would reestablish relations. This opened the way for the New York State Trade Mission to Cuba in April 2015, during which Cuba's Molecular Immunology Center and Buffalo, New York's Roswell Park Cancer Institute signed a formal agreement that would set in motion biotechnology research collaboration to address one of the most important causes of death in both countries. Significant research from Cuba led to this groundbreaking collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this cooperation, from the Molecular Immunology Center's initial investigations, through the opening of a phase I clinical trial at Roswell Park Cancer Institute with therapies developed at the Center. This cooperation was responsible for the first clinical trial for CIMAvax-EGF involving advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients in the USA. A license was also approved by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control authorizing a commercial partnership for development of biotechnology products, combining the cancer research efforts of both institutions. This unusual collaboration between Cuba and the USA-the US economic embargo and travel restrictions not withstanding-opens good prospects for expanded medical research between the two countries. While political and logistical challenges remain, the shared mission and dedication of these Cuban and US scientists points the way towards relationships that can lead to development, testing, approval and use of promising new therapies for cancer patients. KEYWORDS Biotechnology, clinical trials, cancer vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC, Cuba, USA.
1961 年,美国断绝了与古巴的外交关系,1962 年对与该国的贸易和金融关系实施了禁运。直到五十年后,美国和古巴才重新建立关系。这为 2015 年 4 月的纽约州贸易代表团访问古巴铺平了道路,在此期间,古巴分子免疫学中心和纽约罗切斯特的罗斯韦尔公园癌症研究所签署了一项正式协议,将启动生物技术研究合作,以解决这两个国家最重要的死亡原因之一。古巴的重要研究促成了这一开创性的合作。本文旨在讨论这种合作的发展,从分子免疫学中心的初步研究,到罗切斯特公园癌症研究所开始进行该中心开发的 I 期临床试验。这种合作负责了在美国进行的 CIMAvax-EGF 的首次临床试验,涉及晚期非小细胞肺癌患者。美国财政部外国资产控制办公室还批准了一项许可证,授权建立生物技术产品的商业伙伴关系,将这两个机构的癌症研究工作结合起来。尽管存在美国经济禁运和旅行限制,但古巴和美国之间的这种不寻常合作仍为两国之间扩大医疗研究提供了良好的前景。尽管仍存在政治和后勤方面的挑战,但这些古巴和美国科学家的共同使命和奉献精神为建立关系指明了方向,这些关系可以促进有前途的新癌症疗法的开发、测试、批准和使用。
生物技术、临床试验、癌症疫苗、癌症免疫疗法、非小细胞肺癌、NSCLC、古巴、美国。