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The CIGB’s health impact
Health impact is considerable at the population level in many fields,
for example hepatitis-B has disappeared in the infant population. Cuba
does not only hope to eradicate this infectious disease in a few years,
but also to eliminate the virus circulation. Additional relevant facts
supply a picture of the CIGB health impact.
The hepatitis B vaccine manufactured at the CIGB has reduced the incidence
of this infectious disease in Cuba from 376 cases in 1991 to eradication
in 2000, it has been on the WHO’s list of vaccines purchased by
UNO from 2001. $220 million worth of vaccine were sold in 10 years and
100 million doses have been used.
In clinical trials with the recombinant streptokinase manufactured at
the CIGB, 86% efficacy was obtained for the treatment of prosthetic heart
valve thrombosis and in acute myocardial infarction the rate of thrombolysis
was around 50% and even 70% in some medical units.
Large-scale production of the first worldwide synthetic vaccine was made
possible by the CIGB’s staff, a few months after the vaccine discovery.
In clinical trials, 99.7% of the test infants reached antibody titres
above those considered appropriate for long-lived protection against Haemophilus
influenzae type b.
The recombinant humanised antibody against the epidermal growth factor
receptor (EGF-R), now in clinical trials for cancer therapy in Cuba and
other countries, was transiently expressed in tobacco leaves, correctly
assembled and retaining its biological activity.
The Finlay Institute (FI), the CIGB and the Centre for Bioreagents, have
overcome the huge challenge of supplying a safe tetravalent vaccine to
the Cuban Immunization Program. The new combined vaccine Trivac-HB® already protects children from four lethal infectious diseases: diphtheria,
tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis B.
The new product Heberprot-P, with 66% efficacy for preventing amputation
in patients with end-stage diabetic foot ulcers, is in the market and
the Cuban Health System has started its application.
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