Photo: Granma

The state enterprise group BioCubaFarma has 393 research projects underway, of which 102 involve biotechnology, and of these a large portion are focused on oncology, as is also reflected in international trends.

Of the 101 projects, 76 are innovations with Cuban patents, and 26% of these are the first of their kind, that is their active ingredients are not present in any other medication. In addition to cancer, many address neurological disorders, according to academic Rolando Pérez Rodríguez, a member of merit of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, who presented a report to the most recent meeting of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) healthcare commission.

The expert emphasized the technology transfers that have been part of South-South cooperation, to which the Cuban biotechnology industry has contributed in countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, China, Algeria, India, Iran, and South Africa.