Photo by Flickr: Novartis AG

Sonja Kostic, an oncologist from the Bezanijska Kosa Clinical Centre in Belgrade, told BIRN on Monday that patients are now able to apply to be considered for treatment with the Cuban vaccine.

“The vaccine has arrived and now we just need to define who can take the vaccine since it is only for lung cancer patients who are in the fourth [final] stage of the illness,” Kostic said.

CimaVax-EGF is believed to help to prevent the further development of malignant cells, extending terminal patients’ lives.

The Serbian authorities have has bought 1,680 units of the drug, which supposed to be enough to treat 30 patients.

Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar said on Friday that the drug will be provided free to patients.

“We will help all those who are interested in and eligible to receive the vaccine,” Loncar said.

Kostic said patients first need to apply and submit documents about their previous treatment.

Only those who have undergone chemotherapy and cannot be operated upon will be considered.

After an oncologist’s examination, doctors will then decide whether a patient should be treated with the vaccine.

The vaccine will also be available at the Department of Pulmonology in Belgrade and the Institute for lung diseases in Sremska Kamenica.

In next 10 to 15 days, doctors from Cuba are expected to arrive in Serbia to monitor the patients’ conditions and the use of the vaccines.

The CimaVax-EGF treatment will be conducted as a clinical study because the drug has not yet been registered in Serbia or the EU.

Some 6,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Around 1,100 of them are in the fourth, final stage of the disease.