CIMAB announces patent issue for a Cuban Cancer Vaccine by the Chinese Patent Office

Havana City, Cuba, Feb 7, 2003 - The Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM, Havana, Cuba) and its commercial branch CIMAB SA (www.cim.sld.cu) announced today that a vaccine composition for eliciting an immune response against gangliosides and its use, the Patent No. ZL 94113506.3, was granted last January 29, in Beijing by the Chinese Patent Office.

Havana City, Cuba, Feb 7, 2003 - The Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM, Havana, Cuba) and its commercial branch CIMAB SA (www.cim.sld.cu) announced today that a vaccine composition for eliciting an immune response against gangliosides and its use, the Patent No. ZL 94113506.3, was granted last January 29, in Beijing by the Chinese Patent Office.

This invention provides a novel use for N-Glycolylated gangliosides and N-Acetylated gangliosides in relation to cancer vaccines. In the patent is included the methodology to obtain and also the vaccine composition that can be used for cancer treatment.

Tumor associated gangliosides have been used as targets in treatment approaches in two ways: passive and the active immunotherapy for cancer. The rationale of these vaccines (active immunotherapy) could be to increase the immune response against the selected gangliosides that will be used for immunotherapy of malignant neoplasms.

N-Glycolyl GM3 is considered a heterophilic antigen since is not present in all species, humans are normally lacking them. The non-self characteristic of this ganglioside has a major contribution in their immunogenicity in humans. The discovery of the presence of this molecule in significant amounts in breast tumors (Marquina G. et al Cancer Res 56: 5165-5171, 1996) allowed to consider it as an advantageous target for cancer immunotherapy.

On the other hand N Acetyl ganglioside is one of the antigens biochemically identified as dominant in the cellular surface of an increasing number of human tumors. Our NAcGM3 vaccine was able to increase the overall survival, the capacity of tumor rejection and the resistance to tumor growth in mice challenged with the lethal B16 melanoma

Different Phase II clinical trials (breast and colon cancer) are already ongoing in Cuba with these products, recruitment of patients is being performed during this year 2003. Phase I/II are also ongoing in Argentina and Spain.

The Department of Vaccines of the Center of Molecular Immunology is developing these products and currently there are three different projects ongoing at the Center related to the ganglioside system.

These projects are part of a joint venture between Lab ELEA from Argentina and CIMAB SA the commercial branch of the Center of Molecular Immunology. The product originates from the Center of Molecular Immunology in Havana, Cuba and is commercialized by CIMAB S.A. and ELEA Laboratories.

About CIMAB S.A.
CIMAB SA is the commercial branch of the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM). CIM is one a the centers of the Scientific Pole in Cuba devoted to research, development and manufacturing human biotech products, and CIMAB the marketing company. CIM research programs are focused in the areas of cancer therapeutics, autoimmune diseases and renal transplant. CIM utilizes its platform technology and development capabilities to facilitate the rapid and cost-effective discovery and development of novel anti-cancer drugs.

For more information, please contact:
Normando Iznaga-Escobar, MSc
Head Division Business and Development,
CIMAB SA
Street 206, No. 1926, Atabey, Playa,
Havana 11600, Cuba

Phone: (53 7) 271 5057, 271 6275
Fax: (53 7) 33 3509, 33 5049
Email: normando@ict.cim.sld.cu
Web page: www.cim.sld.cu