Cuba offers "ray of light" in cancer battle

Terrie Albano

Cancer may have met its match, and the potential breakthrough may 
have far-reaching political ramifications as well.

For the first time a US company signed an agreement with a Cuban 
firm to develop and test anti-cancer drugs. The US Government 
broke with its long-standing trade embargo and gave a green light 
to California-based CancerVax to enter into a deal with Havana's 
Centre for Molecular Immunology (CIMAB).

CancerVax obtained exclusive rights to complete the development 
of "three product candidates" designed to halt the growth of 
malignant tumors related to lung, breast, prostate and ovarian 
cancers. Cuban President Fidel Castro was present at the July 15 
signing.

CancerVax chief Dr David Hale, who signed the deal in Havana, 
said, "There is a ray of light in the darkness of cancer". He 
said patients are excited about the cooperative arrangement that 
could produce a cancer vaccine.

Dr Agustmn Lage Davila, director of CIMAB, noted there is not a 
tradition of technology transfer from southern to northern 
countries, particularly in the case of Cuba and the US.

"It is no secret that there is a 40-plus year void of a total 
absence of economic cooperation, a situation for which we have 
never blamed the US people, far less the scientists of that 
country", he said.

US cancer specialist Dr Donald Morton, speaking via video said, 
the Cuban-created drugs, designed to stimulate the immune system 
against cancer, represent a "unique, unprecedented discovery".

The Treasury Department, which oversees the US embargo against 
Cuba, denied a cash exchange. Instead, CancerVax will trade food 
and medicine with Cuba, estimated at US$2 million a year.

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People's Weekly World