HeberFERON is a Cuban made drug that has been used in Holguin to fight skin caner, and has so far shown promising results.
For some time now, HeberFERON has been used at Lucía Iñiguez Landín clinical hospital for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, a line of research on which Evelyn María Fraga Fernández, a first-degree specialist in Maxillofacial Surgery, has been working in.
What is HeberFERON?
-This is a Cuban drug developed by the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) for the treatment of basal cell skin cancer, the most common of all cancers in that location. It combines recombinant human alpha and gamma interferons.
“Its use to date has shown the possibility of producing positive effects in the reduction of several cancer cell lines, since in many cases after three weeks of treatment, the lesion disappears, with very mild and transitory adverse reactions”.
Why do you base your research on treatment with HeberFERON?
-This treatment of basal cell carcinoma is a line of research being developed in hospitals and primary health care centers. Its objective is to treat basal cell carcinoma with immunotherapy, which is a specific treatment eight times more effective than any other treatment tried so far, such as conventional surgery, microsurgery, electrosurgery and electrocautery, with favorable results both for the patient and for the country, due to the savings in resources.
“We have been developing a research line at Lucia Hospital where since 2019 we have been receiving patients, at which time the third phase of the clinical trial with HeberFERON was approved, which has included all patients who present basal carcinoma of any type, in any location and of any size.”
How do you use HeberFERON in these treatments?
-The treatment itself is carried out with vaccines, with a frequency of three infiltrations for a period of three to nine weeks, hence there are treatments of nine to 27 doses, according to the type of carcinoma the patient has and its size.
“By infiltration around the lesion, it is a therapeutic alternative that combines two interferons, whose main function is to inhibit tumor growth and reduce or eliminate this type of carcinoma.
Where are the main results of the use of this therapy concentrated?
-Regarding the main results in the use of HeberFERON, in most cases it allows complete remission of the lesion, where surgery is often not necessary and the patient shows remission with a complete response. This allows the patient to remain in consultation, but only for evaluation”.
The only one of its kind, this drug improves the quality of life of patients with the most common malignant skin tumors. Its use is also necessary in advanced stages or when the disease is located in complex areas, close to vital orifices such as the eyes, where a surgical approach is difficult.
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