Trofin — iron and nutritional support
An oral solution approved for iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite, convalescence and exhaustion. Each 15 mL measure contains 630 mg of proteins and amino acids together with 60 mg of ferrous iron.
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Cuba's Supportive Care Products: Trofin, Hebertrans and Biomodulina T
These products do not replace treatment for cancer or chronic disease. We set out what they are approved for, how they are given and who they are not suitable for, based on the official documents.
Trofin, Hebertrans and Biomodulina T are three products licensed by CECMED, the Cuban medicines regulator, and none of them carries an antitumour indication. Trofin is an oral solution registered in 1993 for iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite, convalescence and exhaustion; each 15 mL measure provides 630 mg of proteins and amino acids and 60 mg of ferrous iron. Hebertrans is an injectable transfer factor registered in 1991 for patients with cellular immunodeficiency and the recurrent infections that follow from it. Biomodulina T is an injectable thymic-fraction immunomodulator registered in 2008, used mainly for immune dysfunction and recurrent infections in older adults. A supportive product supports something else: it does not replace treatment, and whether any of the three is appropriate alongside cancer treatment is a decision for the treating oncologist, not a purchase decision.
This article is general information; it is not a diagnosis, a personal treatment recommendation or an eligibility decision. For urgent symptoms, contact your local health service.
Where these fit
What a supportive product is — and what it is not
A supportive product is a licensed medicine for its own indication, not a treatment for the disease it is taken alongside. The three products discussed here — Trofin, Hebertrans and Biomodulina T — are licensed by CECMED, the Cuban medicines regulator. All three are licensed medicines in their own right: Trofin for iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite and exhaustion; Hebertrans for cellular immunodeficiency and for herpes zoster and herpes simplex infections; Biomodulina T for recurrent infections in older adults, prevention of respiratory infections and thymic hypoplasia in children. In an oncology context their role is supportive rather than directed at the tumour.
That distinction matters in practice. A patient receiving oncological treatment may lose nutritional ground, see blood counts fall or experience more frequent infections. Left unaddressed, those problems delay doses and disrupt sessions. Supportive products aim at exactly that gap: they are used to support blood values, immune function and general condition.
At the same time, each of these is a prescription medicine and two of them are injections. They are not supplements to be bought online and used unsupervised. The decision to use them, the dose and the duration belong to the treating physician, and Hebertrans and Biomodulina T are administered in a healthcare facility.
Below you will find, for each product, the information taken from its approved product summary: registration number, manufacturer, approved indication, dosing schedule, contraindications and reported side effects. This is not a treatment recommendation but the frame you should know before deciding.
Three products, three purposes
Which product is defined for which problem?
Each product is defined for a specific problem: Trofin for iron-deficiency anaemia and convalescence, Hebertrans for cellular immunodeficiency with recurrent infections, Biomodulina T for immune dysfunction in older adults. The availability of a product does not mean it is the right option for your situation.
Hebertrans — cellular immune support
A freeze-dried preparation of transfer factor given by injection. It is defined for patients with cellular immunodeficiency who experience recurrent or persistent infections.
Biomodulina T — thymic fraction
A biological immunomodulator of natural origin, polypeptide in nature, obtained from bovine thymus. Approved for recurrent infections in older adults, prevention of respiratory infections, and thymic hypoplasia in children.
From an oncology perspective
Where do these sit in relation to cancer treatment?
None of the three carries an antitumour indication, and that is the whole of their relationship to cancer treatment. The approved summary for Hebertrans states that it has been used in patients with tumours as an adjunct to improve immunity, with favourable course reported in sepsis, in operated patients and in recovery from severe leukopenia caused by cytostatic drugs. That sentence deserves careful reading: the reported benefit concerns immune parameters and clinical course, not tumour shrinkage.
Trofin may come up where a patient has the iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite and exhaustion often seen in oncology. But anaemia in a cancer patient is not always due to iron deficiency; bone marrow suppression, bleeding, anaemia of chronic disease and B12 or folate deficiency must each be investigated. Iron support started without establishing the cause is both ineffective and capable of masking the real problem.
Biomodulina T is approved for recurrent infections in older adults and for prevention of respiratory infections. Because infections can become more frequent during oncological treatment, it attracts interest; but that use falls outside the approved indication and can only be discussed by the physician following the patient.
One rule applies to all three: none replaces chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or targeted therapy, and none can justify delaying them.
Official product information
Trofin as licensed in Cuba
Trofin holds Cuban sanitary registration 0888, registered on 30 June 1993, and is manufactured by the Centro Nacional de Biopreparados (BioCen) in Bejucal. It is an oral solution: each 15 mL measure contains 630 mg of proteins and amino acids and 60 mg of ferrous iron, together with propolis, under ATC code B03AE10. The approved indications are iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite, convalescence and exhaustion. Adults take 15 mL three times daily, 30 minutes before meals; children under two take 5 mL once or twice daily and children over two 5 mL three times daily. The summary describes no contraindications, asks for blood values to be monitored during treatment, and records adverse reactions as very rare — below 0.01% — and limited to the digestive tract.
The data below are taken from the product summary approved by CECMED and are not a treatment recommendation.
- Registration
- Sanitary registration 0888, registered 30 June 1993
- Manufacturer
- Centro Nacional de Biopreparados (BioCen), Bejucal, Cuba
- Composition and class
- Oral solution. Each 15 mL measure contains 630 mg of proteins and amino acids and 60 mg of ferrous iron, and includes propolis. ATC code B03AE10 — antianaemic preparations, iron in other combinations.
- Approved indication
- Iron-deficiency anaemia, loss of appetite, convalescence and exhaustion.
- Route and schedule
- Adults: 15 mL three times daily, 30 minutes before meals. Children under two: 5 mL once or twice daily. Children over two: 5 mL three times daily. Shake before use.
- Contraindications
- None described. Blood values should be monitored during treatment, which continues until iron stores return to normal.
- Safety
- According to the CECMED pharmacovigilance system, adverse reactions are very rare (below 0.01%) and limited to the digestive tract (diarrhoea, vomiting, epigastric discomfort) and skin (rash, change in colour). Across six clinical studies conducted over five years — 802 older adults, 45 children, 17 burns patients and 400 pregnant women — no adverse events were reported.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Preclinical toxicology showed a wide safety margin with no teratogenic or mutagenic effect, permitting use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Being licensed in Cuba does not mean it is licensed in your country or suitable for you. Iron support should not be started before the cause of anaemia has been established.
Official product information
Hebertrans (transfer factor) as licensed in Cuba
Hebertrans holds Cuban sanitary registration 1356, registered on 11 January 1991, and is manufactured by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana. It is a freeze-dried powder for intramuscular or subcutaneous injection; each vial contains 1 unit of transfer factor, equivalent to 1 mg of protein. The approved indication is cellular immunodeficiency in patients who consequently experience recurrent or persistent bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections. Adults most commonly receive 1 unit and children 1–2 U/m², with the frequency varying by diagnosis and course. It is contraindicated in hypersensitivity to dextran or to any of the salts in the preparation, there are no studies in pregnancy, and apart from mild redness at the injection site in 2% of cases no significant side effect has been reported.
The data below are taken from the product summary approved by CECMED and are not a treatment recommendation.
- Registration
- Sanitary registration 1356, registered 11 January 1991
- Manufacturer
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Havana, Cuba
- Composition
- Freeze-dried powder for intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Each vial contains 1 unit of transfer factor (equivalent to 1 mg of protein) with dextran 40.
- Approved indication
- Patients with cellular immunodeficiency who consequently experience recurrent or persistent bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections. The summary also covers herpes zoster, herpes simplex, adjunctive use in cancer patients, and allergic conditions accompanied by cellular immunodeficiency.
- Reported study results
- In a controlled study in herpes zoster, after three to five daily applications of 1 unit, the time to disappearance of lesions and of pain fell to 5.9 and 7.1 days respectively, with no complications including post-herpetic neuralgia. In recurrent herpes simplex, after six weeks of treatment and one year of observation, recurrences were eliminated in 28% of patients and reduced in 43%.
- Route and schedule
- In adults the most commonly used dose is 1 unit; in children 1–2 U/m². Frequency varies with the diagnosis and course: from 1 unit daily for up to seven days, to one or two units per week. In some chronic conditions treatment may extend to six months.
- Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to dextran or to any of the salts in the preparation. There are no studies in pregnancy; the physician must weigh risk and benefit in each case.
- Safety and preparation
- Apart from mild redness at the injection site in 2% of cases, no significant side effect has been reported. It contains no preservative and must be used immediately after reconstitution; it should not be used if precipitate, turbidity or discolouration appears. Store at 2–8 °C and do not freeze.
This product is administered in a healthcare facility under medical supervision. Its use in cancer patients is adjunctive and does not replace oncological treatment.
Official product information
Biomodulina T as licensed in Cuba
Biomodulina T holds Cuban sanitary registration B-08-038-L03, registered on 22 May 2008, and is manufactured by BioCen. It is a solution for intramuscular or intravenous injection; each 3 mL vial contains 3 mg of thymic fraction, under ATC code L03AX. The approved indications are conditions with immune dysfunction, mainly of the cellular type, chiefly recurrent infections in older adults. For those patients the summary gives 3 mg intramuscularly daily for three weeks, then 3 mg three times a week for two weeks. Intravenous administration must be slow, at roughly 1 mL per minute and with the medicine at room temperature. Reported side effects include pain and burning at the injection site, fever, headache and asthenia. The product is stored at 2–8 °C and has a shelf life of 24 months.
The data below are taken from the product summary approved by CECMED and are not a treatment recommendation.
- Registration
- Sanitary registration B-08-038-L03, registered 22 May 2008
- Manufacturer
- Centro Nacional de Biopreparados (BioCen), Bejucal, Cuba
- Composition and class
- Solution for intramuscular or intravenous injection; each 3 mL vial contains 3 mg of thymic fraction. ATC code L03AX. A biological immunomodulator of natural origin, not derived from blood, consisting of polypeptide fractions of bovine thymus.
- Approved indication
- Conditions with immune dysfunction, mainly of the cellular type: recurrent infections in older adults; prevention of respiratory infections including COVID-19 in older adults; treatment of thymic hypoplasia in children over one year.
- Route and schedule
- Recurrent infections in older adults: 3 mg intramuscularly daily for three weeks, then 3 mg three times a week for two weeks. The cycle may be repeated or adjusted by the physician. Prevention of respiratory infections: 3 mg intramuscularly twice a week for six weeks. In children with thymic hypoplasia the schedule follows the severity of the hypoplasia and may extend to 24 weeks.
- Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to the product. Intravenous administration must be slow, at roughly 1 mL per minute, with the medicine at room temperature. Only a clear solution may be given; it must not be used if opalescence or precipitate is present.
- Reported side effects
- Pain and burning at the injection site; fever, headache and asthenia have been reported, as well as allergic, cutaneous and general reactions.
- Storage
- Store at 2–8 °C; shelf life 24 months.
This product is administered in a healthcare facility. Its approved indication concerns infection and immune dysfunction; it is not an antitumour treatment.
Before deciding
Four questions to ask when these products come up
The four questions below are worth asking in writing before any of these products is started. If you cannot get the answers in writing, it is too early to decide.
Has the problem actually been defined?
Is it anaemia, immunodeficiency, or something else? Support started without a blood count, ferritin, B12, folate and, where indicated, immune testing has no target.
Do you fall within the approved indication?
The approved uses of these three products are narrow. Any use outside them is a choice the physician should justify in writing.
Is it delaying the main treatment?
Looking for a supportive product must never delay the start or continuation of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or antiviral treatment.
Where will it be given and followed up?
Hebertrans and Biomodulina T are injections given in a healthcare facility. How administration continues after you return home must be planned from the outset.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about supportive products
Do these products treat cancer?
No — none of these products treats cancer. All three are licensed medicines in their own indications; none of them carries an antitumour indication. The Hebertrans summary states it has been used in cancer patients as an adjunct to improve immunity; the reported benefit concerns immune parameters and clinical course, not tumour shrinkage.
Can I buy them online?
Buying them online is not advised. Hebertrans and Biomodulina T are prescription injectables requiring cold-chain handling. Trofin is oral, but starting iron support without establishing the cause of anaemia is wrong in principle. Counterfeiting of Cuban-origin products sold over the internet is also a documented problem.
Can they be used during chemotherapy?
Use during chemotherapy is a decision for the oncologist following you, and for nobody else. Immune status and blood counts are already monitored closely during chemotherapy, and any additional product must be assessed for interaction, timing and safety.
I have anaemia — can I just take Trofin?
Anaemia is not a reason to start Trofin by itself. The cause of the anaemia must be established first. Iron-deficiency anaemia, anaemia of chronic disease, B12 or folate deficiency and anaemia from bleeding require different treatments. Iron support is only meaningful once iron deficiency has been demonstrated, and blood values should be monitored during treatment.
Are these products licensed in my country?
All three are licensed in Cuba, and a Cuban registration does not automatically confer validity elsewhere. Administration is planned in the country where the product is licensed and in an authorised healthcare facility.
Can I take them home with me?
Taking them home is governed by national rules on bringing medicines into a country, and transport is a separate issue for products requiring cold chain. Discuss this with both your physician and your coordination team before travelling.
Sources
The sources behind this article.
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