[NYTr] Cuban Scientists Advance in HIV Vaccine Research

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Cuban Scientists Advance in HIV Vaccine Research

Havana, Jan 9 (acn) Cuban scientists will soon begin the phase of 
clinical study of a potential vaccine against the HIV virus, a 
scientific source announced on Wednesday.

Speaking with local reporters in a press conference on Tuesday, the 
Director of Technological Development at the Center of Biotechnology 
and Genetic Engineering (CIGB), Eduardo Martinez, said that the product 
"is still under research, but it should be on the phase of clinical 
study next year."

According to the Juventud Rebelde newspaper, Martinez added that the 
safety of the product has already been tested "in animal models with 
very encouraging results."

He noted that "it is a therapeutic vaccine for people already infected 
with the virus. We believe that it can help improve the treatment by 
itself alone or combined with other retroviral medicines, a lot of 
which Cuba already produces."

The specialist also announced that, in an upcoming international 
conference that will take place in Cuba, they will show the results of 
a clinical study (Phase 3) of Hebertprot, a product used on the island 
to prevent amputation in patients suffering from ulcers of diabetic 
foot, mainly in the third and fourth degrees.

Martinez said that clinical studies are also underway with the Pegilado 
Interferon against hepatitis "that reduces the number of applications 
of this product to only one instead of the current three with the 
standard interferon. This reduces the adverse side effects of the 
product and increases its efficiency," he explained.