2C12: A Cuban candidate against cancer › Cuba › Granma

A new drug developed by Cuban scientists at the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) is ready to be tested in patients with advanced melanoma, as part of research aimed at expanding therapeutic options against cancer.
According to information published this Monday on the CIM’s official Facebook page, the therapeutic candidate, called 2C12, has similar characteristics to pembrolizumab, one of the treatments used internationally to stimulate the immune system’s response against tumor cells.
The development of this alternative also responds to the need to find accessible therapeutic options given the high cost of certain cancer medications on the international market and the difficulties Cuba faces in acquiring them as a result of the United States’ economic, commercial, and financial blockade.
In this first stage, the clinical study will focus on people with advanced melanoma, that is, cases of skin cancer that cannot be treated surgically or that have spread to other parts of the body.
According to information released by the CIM (Center for Medical Research), the research will involve specialized medical teams from hospitals in Havana and Villa Clara. In Havana, the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology and the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital will participate, while in Villa Clara, the Dr. Celestino Hernández Robau Territorial University Oncology Hospital will be involved.
Those interested in learning about the requirements and opportunities to participate in the study, or their family members, can request information directly from the specialists at the participating institutions.
The development of 2C12 represents a new expression of the efforts of Cuban science to generate its own alternatives for cancer treatment and to advance towards greater sovereignty in medicines.