The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, has described the cooperation in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals that Cuba and China have maintained since the beginning of the century as an "exemplary relationship"; the largest of the Antilles maintains similar ties with its Vietnamese counterparts.
The sector has become a strategic part of Cuba's collaboration with Vietnam and China. These ties include production, but also research and development of cutting-edge medicines, processes in which the people are the first to benefit.
Mayda Mauri Pérez, PhD in Science and president of the BioCubaFarma business group, discussed the history, present, and development of these ties in connection with the Cuban head of state's tour of these two countries and Laos, in which collaboration in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector will be a common theme.
THE BEST OF CUBAN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Relations between Cuba and Vietnam in this sector date back many years, recalls Dr. Mauri Pérez as she reviews the key milestones of these ties, the progress of the joint venture between the Cuban company BCF S.A. and the Vietnamese company Genfarma Holdings, and the boost to bilateral relations based on the consensus reached between Díaz-Canel and the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam.
In the area of medicines, Cuban vaccines, such as those for hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae, have been leaders in Vietnam, as have other biotechnological products, such as erythropoietin and recombinant interferon alfa-2b.
"Following Comrade To Lam's visit to Cuba in September 2024, new agreements were reached in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
He and Díaz-Canel made a commitment, both to the Cuban and Vietnamese people, to enhance relations in this sector, which is so strategic for both countries.
"We have fulfilled this mandate by creating this joint venture, which was established in May of this year, and we are following the steps required for this process until we officially join, with a 49% stake.
"This company already has an extraordinary asset, a very modern plant that meets the highest international standards for developing the formulation, filling, and packaging processes for different biotechnological products that our side contributes," he explained.
"The Cuban biopharmaceutical industry will bring the best of its know-how to the Vietnamese market, and this company has the particularity, unlike those we have established in other markets, that all the entities of the business group participate in it. The aspiration is not only to produce the final stages, but also to generate the active pharmaceutical ingredients and carry out joint research and development (R&D) activities.
"Our goal," he added, "is to produce blood products there in the short term. This will be another extraordinary achievement that will give Vietnam technological sovereignty.
"And this will also have a major impact on the health of the Cuban population, because everything we do with Vietnam will have a return on our basic range of medicines; in other words, with the participation of the Vietnamese, we will have financial resources that will allow us to produce on a large scale and satisfy both their population's demand and ours.
"This gives us great hope. We are aware of the complex situation we are experiencing with the shortage of medicines, and now we will have this option, and who better than the Vietnamese people, who adore the Commander-in-Chief and feel so much love for the Cuban people."
CUBAN-CHINESE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PHARMACEUTICALS
He also explained the links between BioCubaFarma and its Chinese partners. "It is a relationship that goes back more than 20 years and has its origins in the strategic vision of Fidel, who, in his meetings with Chinese leaders, agreed to work together in this industry. This strategy was continued by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and now by Díaz-Canel.
"We are happy with what has been achieved in bilateral relations in this sector, which is closely linked to national sovereignty, because when we master the technology, when we have the possibility of independence in a production as sensitive as vaccines, we give the country and our people great peace of mind."
Regarding the current state and prospects of these ties, the director noted that they are in the process of relaunching this relationship. "We are firmly committed to further consolidating our joint ventures with China, of which there are already three. And how have we achieved this? Well, we offer these companies the best we have, and they are equipping themselves with innovative projects and products."
"Now," she added, "we are creating a 100% Cuban company in China. It is a system designed to become a bridge between that nation and Latin America. Its objective is to identify the products that BioCubaFarma can bring to the Latin American market, taking advantage of its experience, distribution channels, and alliances with counterparts in the region."
Among other milestones in this sector, the President of BioCubaFarma highlighted a new model of collaboration and business that has been developed by joint laboratories and R&D centers.
"Research and development is very expensive and high risk. It is a model that we have been building and that we plan to strengthen. Based on this relationship, we have generated new patents at one of the joint R&D centers with the development of projects for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other therapeutic indications.
"China," she adds, "is one of the main suppliers of raw materials, inputs, and technological equipment for the production of medicines that have an impact on the basic health of the Cuban population.
"In this way," said Mauri Pérez, "our population benefits in two ways. First, it ensures that we can more easily acquire the supplies and raw materials needed to produce medicines, but it also allows for the development of products that have a significant impact on the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
"In early September, we will be holding the thirteenth meeting of the Cuba-China Biotechnology Working Group, a mechanism that has worked very well."
FOR CUBA, CHINA, AND THE WORLD
Regarding the Cuban products that are most accepted in the Chinese market, the leader of BioCubaFarma commented that there are currently four registered products that are intended for nine therapeutic indications.
"One is Nimotuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that has the distinction of being the first to be produced in China. It is intended for the treatment of cancer and in China it is registered for esophageal indications, but last year it was also registered for head and neck and pancreatic cancer indications.
"Another example is recombinant interferon alfa-2b, produced there and selected by the Chinese health authorities to be one of the main products used at the beginning of the pandemic."
Elaborating on the fruitful Cuban-Chinese collaboration in the area of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, Dr. Mayda Mauri reported that work is currently underway on a business model with BioCubaFarma's partner for the production of PPG. "This is one of the historic products of our collaboration, with rising sales and high-standard production facilities.
"We are currently producing 81-milligram aspirin, which is in high demand among heart patients. In addition, we have defined a group of medicines that we will be producing with our counterpart in China, using the same business model.
"In other words, the business models with our Chinese brothers and sisters benefit the Cuban population, as these mechanisms enable us to obtain financing for the production required by the national health system."
