Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Heberprot-P

"Heberprot-P is the brand name of a drug developed by scientists at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Cuba as a cure for diabetic foot ulcer. The product contains epidermal growth factor (EGF) to be applied by intra-lesional injections directly in the wound site.^[2][3][4] It has been found to "promote granulation and healing in advanced diabetic foot ulcers".  Heberprot-P is indicated for the treatment of poor prognosis of deep, extensive, and terminal DFU not responding to comprehensive and/or extensive conventional methods, particularly in grades 3, 4 and 5 of Wagner's Classification with average ulcer size bigger than 20 cm², of both neuropathic and ischemic etiology with high risk amputation. Clinical studies in 344 patients with advanced diabetic foot ulcers (Wagner´s grade 3 or 4, median size >20 cm², ischemic ulcers not excluded) have shown that injected recombinant EGF has the potential to promote complete granulation in more than 80%, with complete wound healing (re-epithelialization) in more than 50% of subjects usually unresponsive to other treatments. Injected recombinant EGF has the potential to reduce amputation rates, with a considerable personal and public health improvement, including longer survival."  Wiki

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As I have just explained to someone who used to comment on SST,  I have no use for communism and its friends but the devil must be given his due. 

Many Americans are mutilated or die every year because of diabetic foot ulcers.  First the toes go, then the feet and later the legs.  Death follows.

This drug has been available since 2007?  One might ask why it has not been available in the States?  Was this caused by the idiocy of the present sanctions against Cuba?  Did the possession by the Cuban government of the world patent pose an insuperable barrier to entry of this drug into our marketplace?  Would the FDA have proven to be another insuperable barrier?

pl       

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heberprot-P

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_foot_ulcer 

 

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

P.L. Thanks for this remarkable post!

Also there has been almost NO coverage by the MSM of Chinese and Cuban efforts since the 2010 earthquake!

And still no real water and sewage treatment facilities in Haiti!

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Cuba has pulled ahead of the US on a number of public health measures, such as infant mortality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
I've read that they also lead us in breast cancer survival rate but haven't yet found a reference source. The USA's problem, as we all know, is not the quality of care that is available but rather access to it financially. I will be watching to see if ObamaCare has an improving effect on these sorts of data. I'm not holding my breath, however, considering the primary goal of the legislation was not to remove the financial barriers for ALL Americans but rather to preserve the revenue streams of economic rents to the insurance sector.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_rent

[MEP]

Thank you both for this post and comment.

"Also there has been almost NO coverage by the MSM of Chinese and Cuban efforts since the 2010 earthquake!"

Hell, there was very little mention of Cuban relief efforts immediately after the disaster and during the worst of the recovery efforts. The Cubans, as well as Doctors Without Borders were given very poor treatment by the U.S. MSM as well as U.S. authorities on the ground in Haiti. The saga of DWB getting their equipment into Haiti was fairly well reported on in the foreign press while being pretty much ignored by the U.S. MSM. Thanks again for taking note of the absurdity with which our Government exhibits towards those that are not "under control". I could site references but they are not hard to find. Another "lost chapter" of history. If you can't refute or control........simply ignore reality and make your own.

I have known many people who could have benefited greatly from the treatment you site. Thank you for giving credit where it's due.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I thought Bill Clinton was running the show there; what happened to all that money then?

[shepherd]

For what it's worth, infant mortality rate can be a tricky statistic. To summarize some of the research on it, several factors drive the abnormally high infant mortality rate in the US:

1. Extremely high infant mortality rates among poor African American, Native American, and Puerto Rican mothers. (Mexican-Americans, incidentally, have low rates.)

2. Heavy use of fertility treatments.

3. A tendency to implant too many embryos in IVF treatments (caused by the desire for success, as multiple IVF treatments are not normally covered by insurance).

4. A bias towards premature delivery and C-sections in the case of complications.

5. Older than average mothers.

[MEP]

Don't slight Bill's BFF and golf cart bud

http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/

..........yes, where did all the funds go?

[oofda]

I believe the U.S. drug industry has had something to do with this situation. Also, the neocons who tried to label the Cuban medicine industry as potential bio-weapons producers. Actually, the Cuban medical industry produces a lot of low-cost medicines for Latin America. That threatens the U.S., as well as other Western producers.

[shege]

Probably pique on the part of Big Pharma that they didn't get there first. This may also explain (part of) Bob Menendez' hostility to the normalization of relations--Big Pharma is a big supporter of Menendez.

[William R. Cumming]

Thanks MEP! IMO the Cubans run the Public Health System to the extent it exists in Haiti!

[William R. Cumming]

The Clinton Foundation was involved but hard to tell what they did and what they spent. Some say they collected $500M from donors. Net worth estimates of Hillary and Bill now often in n$150M range. He was paid $26,500 as Arkansas Governor.

[LJ]

JFK and Fidel Castro were having conversations in which Kennedy's last message to Castro was that if he quit supporting national wars of liberation in the Americas, "everything was possible" via his personal emissary William Attwood. JFK was planning to move rapidly ahead towards direct conversations with Castro around specific issues. A French journalist was with Castro when Castro was notified of his assassination. Castro was dismayed and said, "Everything has changed." -- from "JFK and the Unspeakable.

[The beaver]

@ WRC

And Chelsea and hubby bought a condo ( or co-op) worth >$10M before the arrival of the grandchild.

[different clue]

William R. Cumming,

Clinton has been paid very well for his good work on getting NAFTA, WTO membership for America, MFN status for China, signing the Repeal Glass-Steagall Law, the Telecommunications Modernization Act, whatever law outlawed the governmental regulation of derivatives, etc.
Obama hopes to do as well as or better than Mr. Bill has done for himself.

[Amir]

San Diego pharm companies are working on forming joint-ventures for a few years now. The exchange program was set-up and ran/runs smoothly thanks to direct flights from Tijuana (just a taxi ride from La Jolla) and Havana.

Cuban health system had been influenced by likes of Ché, the latter surely hated in this forum.

[Amir]

It is called "infant" and not fetal mortality rate so IVF failure has no bearing on this number.

It is not always "the brownies" that add negatives to the balance sheet. Surely, Cuba is not Heaven and they have their poors too. Don't bother comparing US to Cuba, try Belgium (IVF was developed in University of Brussels and yes it is covered by that retched socialist healthcare insurance of theirs) or Switzerland or for that matter the basketcase Greece or Portugal.

C-section does not increase infant mortality but rather the mother's morbidity.

US ha it's share of teenage mothers, well compensating for the oldies. I don't have any data in this regard.

[Fred]

oofda,

"... the Cuban medical industry produces a lot of low-cost medicines ..."
Time to get them listed as the drug manufacturer of choice on Obamacare coverage. That would be a laugh on the pharmaceutical industry here.

[jonst]

"...what happened to all that money then?" Are you kidding, you got your own answer. What happened to money? The Clinton's were running the show. Enough said...