Drug and Biotechnical Industry Investment Opportunities in Cuba
The Biotech Sector and Cuba
The Cuban government are looking for significant investments into specific sectors of business in the country and of these main sectors is the ‘drug and Biotechnical’ sector.
For those of you already involved in this field, it will perhaps come as no surprise to you that this sector is an area of interest for the Cuban government, given the influence worldwide of the world-class facilities and research which comes out of the ‘Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnológica’ (which translate into English as the ‘center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’ or abbreviated as CIGB.
This institute often also holds the ‘Biotechnology Havana. International conference.
This event attracts experts from around the world to Havana for 5 days of talks, workshops, and networking events.
The event attracts government ministers, renowned experts in the field, and academics with an interest in this subject area.
Investment
The Biotechnical industry is an important one in Cuba and it is likely to mean a significant opportunity for companies worldwide who have a sizeable budget to invest in this sector, within Cuba and the good news is that the government is actively seeking this investment!
This sector produces medicines, equipment, and high technology services on the basis of the country’s scientific-technical development, for the improvement of the health of the Cuban people and the generating of exportable goods and services.
The Grupo de las Industrias Biotecnologica y Farmaceutica, BioCubaFarma, is made up of:
- Sixteen large manufacturing enterprises with 78 production facilities.
- Eight commercializing enterprises.
- Eleven enterprises abroad.
- Establishments in all the provinces of Cuba
- Over twenty thousand employees are at work; of these 58% have higher and middle higher education levels. Over one thousand have their Masters of Sciences and approximately five hundred are taking their Masters. Over 250 are Doctors of Sciences and approximately 150 are in the process of getting their Doctors of Sciences degrees.
Products
Among the principal products, there are prophylactic vaccines against infectious diseases, bio drugs for the treatment of cancer (including monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic vaccines), products for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular conditions as well as for the treatment of ulcers in the diabetic foot.
They also manufacture generic products and new generation drug compounds as well as systems for early diagnosis and prevention of malignant tumors, malformations, hereditary metabolic diseases, and others.
They also offer natural and traditional medicine products and agricultural research as well as advanced technology medical equipment, nanotechnology, neurosciences, and neuro-technology.
In Cuba, BioCubaFarm has health registrations for over six hundred drug-related products and thirty biological products; abroad, its enterprises have over 800 health registrations in different countries.
In general, it develops 91 products/projects directed towards the principal diseases:
- 33 projects and products against infectious diseases.
- 7 projects and products for diabetes and other pathologies.
- 33 oncological projects and products 18 cardiovascular projects and products.
Comprehensive Programs for patients for high impact on their health:
- Prevention program for diseases with prophylactic vaccines.
- Program for early diagnosis and treatment of different cancer pathologies.
- Program for investigation and treatment of diabetes and its complications such as ulcers
of the diabetic foot. - Program for diagnosing and evaluation different diseases (cardiology, neurology, etc.)
with new medical equipment. - Program for the detection of hereditary-metabolic malformations and diseases.
Patents
The total number of patents awarded abroad is more than 1500.
Among these are included medicines recognized on international levels such as Heberprot-P which is used for the treatment of the ulcers of the diabetic foot and the monoclonal antibody Nimotuzumab for the treatment of tumors in the head and neck, esophagus, and brain.
BioCubaFarm exports to more than 50 countries and its Program of Clinical Development abroad includes 40 Clinical Tests in 24 countries.
IN its international expansion this sector uses various types of business, among these the
most outstanding, is the joint development of research and development projects, distribution and representation agreements, transfer of technology agreements, and joint enterprises outside of Cuba and other enterprises that are 100% Cuban capital abroad.
It also promotes the direct foreign investment in Cuba that will be significant in the Special Development Zone of Mariel.
Sectorial Policy
To promote projects in Cuba with strategic partners for the production of the finished forms and active pharmaceutical ingredients in generic medicines.
In the case of biotechnological products, we will assess specific businesses to complement national projects, keeping intellectual property rights and looking after the proper use of what the joint enterprise could produce as well as the creation or enlarging of production capacities.
