CIGB 258 Vaccine Brings Hope In COVID Fight, Scientist Says

The CIGB 258 a peptide vaccine, a drug used in Cuba to treat COVID-19 patients, is giving promising results, chief of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB) Verena Muzio said on the Mesa Redonda television program on Wednesday.

The drug has been used to treat 58 patients, including those with severe and critical conditions. After tests, the vaccine shows a promising 84% survival rate.

In her intervention, Muzio explained that as a result of the positive results following its application to these patients, Cuban health authorities decided to include this vaccine candidate in the treatment protocols for severe and critical cases.
"Cuban Health, a bulwark in the face of COVID-19."

"72% of critically ill patients and 90% of severe cases have recovered from the virus with the vaccine treatment," she said.

She also pointed out that further research is being carried out, also with patients who are positive cases. This is particularly the case of Esperanza, a study that evaluates Heberferon, a drug that combines interferon-alpha and gamma, designed for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.

So far, Cuba has been diagnosed with 2,119 positive cases since the outbreak, of which 1,839 have been sent home totally recovered. With less than five deceased in the last couple of weeks, the death toll is currently 89.