Clinical trial of Cuban drug NeuralCIM. Image:MC

By María Josefina Arce

At the end of February, a new stage in the clinical research of the drug NeuralCim, commercial name of the molecule NeuroEpo, began in Cuba in patients with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease, an ailment that is one of the main causes of disability and dependence among the elderly.

Complex is the Phase III clinical trial of this drug, the result of intense work by specialists at the CIM, Center for Molecular Immunology, an internationally recognized institution to which we owe novel drugs and which from the beginning was linked to the country's confrontation with COVID 19.

In fact, three of its products were used in the treatment of those infected with the virus, with satisfactory results, especially in those reported as severe.

Centro de Inmunología Molecular is also widely known for its therapeutic vaccine CIMAVAX for lung cancer, which has been highlighted by the scientific community of other nations such as the United States, and which has managed to extend the life of people suffering from this disease.

The close cooperation between the Roswell Park Institute in New York and the CIM speaks of the confidence in this Cuban immunogen, which validates the quality of Cuban science.

That is why there is great expectation about NeuralCim, which is an option to improve the quality of life of Alzheimer's patients, which in view of the aging population is a challenge for the country.

This new phase is being developed throughout the country, with two clinical studies, although they have their differences due to the complexity of this type of research.

 One is in Havana and the other in the remaining provinces of the country. The difference lies in the fact that the patients included in the capital will undergo the diagnosis of the disease from the clinical and molecular point of view, while those residing in other areas of the archipelago will only undergo clinical diagnosis.

The experts have pointed out that NeuralCim is a drug for nasal application, very convenient and easy to use by the patient's caregivers.

After many years of pharmaceutical, toxicological and efficacy studies, the safety of the molecule for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease was demonstrated. The results also showed a tendency to halt the progression of the disease in the mild and moderate stages.

NeuralCim is another achievement of Cuban science, which opens the way for the treatment of a devastating and traumatic disease, and which will give us, as experts affirm, sovereignty and independence to care for our patients and give them a new hope.