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About CHEMO

Media: El Economista (www.eleconomista.es)
Date: 02/06/08

A Spanish pharmaceutical makes last minute preparations ahead of cancer vaccine trial

Chemo, which is competing with Bristol and Glaxo, expects to be on the market in 5 years.

Cancer can be turned into a past nightmare in a relatively short time in. Spanish pharmaceutical company Chemo -founded thirty years ago by Hugo Sigman- is making last minute preparations in clinical trials involving a vaccine against different types of lung, breast, skin (melanoma) and cervical tumors. This will represent increasing important cure survival rates already obtained, even more. “We have been researching for a long time, and now we are conducting clinical trials that I believe will lead us to obtain a new drug in five years”, assures Leandro Sigman, Chemo managing director.

According to his statement, “Contrary to what happens with flu for example, this is not a preventive vaccine but a compound that would alert the body to identify the formation of a tumor so that, contrary to what occurs now, it may react and fight against it with its own antibodies”. Chemo is currently working in the development of these patents with Centro de Ingeniería Biomolecular from Cuba, although the patents in Spain are under process along with Instituto Valenciano de Oncología.

Competence

Notwithstanding the fact that Chemo is the only company investigating in this field, Sigman acknowledged that “Other pharmaceutical laboratories, such as Bristol or GlaxoSmithkline are currently working in similar developments. At present, HPV vaccine is against the human papilloma virus-which causes cervical cancer- but does not eradicate the tumor itself. Up until now, Chemo star drug was omeprazole used in different types of ulcers. The group has production facilities in Spain, Italy, India, China and Argentina. It is present in 24 countries around the world, and between 5 to 10 percent of its turnover is invested every year in the research and development of new drugs. Thus, Chemo allocated more than 130 million euros to new assets between 2003 and 2005. With a staff of 2,800 employees (650 located in Spain), the group turnover is expected to rise above 450 million, according to its forecast.

Authorization to land in the U.S. Cancer drugs may mark an inflection point in the future development of Chemo. But in the meantime, the company has just taken another historical step. The pharmaceutical plant has just obtained approval from the U.S. Drug Agency (FDA by its acronym in English) to start marketing its products in the United States. According to the company, this accreditation does not only open the doors to export into the US marketplace but also implies a guarantee to access other markets. With an initial investment of 20 million euros, the plant in Leon province researches and develops products for women’s health, especially those related to the development of hormonal compounds, stated Leandro Sigman.

Note extracted from El Economista print edition.