Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccines obtain health registration

The Center for the Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (Cecmed) has granted health registration to the Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccines Abdala (from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus (from the Finlay Institute of Vaccines).

Liz Conde Sanchez, May 22, 2023

On May 19, 2020, the First Secretary of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, had met with a group of Cuban researchers and scientists whom he asked to create their own vaccine that would give the nation the sovereignty needed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, three years after this historic meeting, the three nationally produced anti-COVID-19 vaccines, which were born from the efforts of Cuban scientists and saved the country from the ravages of the epidemic, now have a registration. sanitary, granted by the State Control Center for Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (Cecmed).  

During the ceremony which took place this Saturday at the Palais des Congrès in the capital, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the creation of national immunogens against the pandemic, Olga Lidia Jacobo Casanueva, director of Cecmed, announced the granting by the regulatory body of health registration to Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccines: Abdala, from the Center for Genetic and Biotechnological Engineering (CIGB), and Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus, from the Finlay Institute of Vaccines (IFV) .
The official clarified that at the end of the process of evaluating the files presented by the institutions, "and considering that the Cuban vaccines have completed their studies and that the information presented complies with the requirements established by Cecmed in terms of demonstration quality, safety and efficacy", it was decided to grant health registration to the three vaccines.
She also said that once health registration is obtained, emergency use authorizations granted in 2021, during the pandemic, are no longer in effect.
During the ceremony, chaired by Martha Ayala Ávila, member of the Political Bureau of the Party and General Director of the CIGB, Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella, Deputy Prime Minister, Eduardo Martinez Diaz, President of the BioCubaFarma business group, as well as d Other officials, directors and representatives of various institutions, the IFV has been granted the status of High Technology Company (Empresa de Alta Tecnología).
Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, underlined that the IFV presented a complete and solid dossier, which is why all the evaluation teams unanimously recognized that this institution fulfilled all the requirements to be a high-tech company, making it the eighth of its kind in the country, seven of them owned by BioCubaFarma.
The event was also an opportunity to pay tribute to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, as the main architect of the development of science in the country.
The book Fidel, interferon and Cuban biotechnology, by Dr. Manuel Limonta Vidal, was also presented. The author declared that this work was intended to pay a deserved tribute to the memory of the unforgettable Fidel, and to show the new generations of young researchers in the country all the effort, support and direct participation of the commander in leader in this project.
“We had the historic privilege of being chosen to take on the challenge of producing leukocyte interferon in Cuba, at a time when Finland was the only country in the world to produce it, and at a time of great change and development. 'significant opportunities for biotechnology around the world were on the horizon,' he said.
During the ceremony, the main institutions involved in the development and production of Cuban vaccines against COVID-19 were recognized.

 

President of Cuba talks with US solidarity leaders

The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, spoke here today with nearly 300 friends of the island from the United States and accompanying the fight against the blockade.

Author: Prensa Latina(PL) | internet@granma.cu

Havana, May 1 (Prensa Latina) The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, spoke here today with nearly 300 friends of the island from the United States and accompanying the fight against the blockade.
At the Palace of the Revolution, the participants spoke about their commitment to Cuba, to fight with more force against the inhuman US blockade, to add more young people to this battle, about socialism and the example that the island represents.
During the dialogue, the American activist Manolo de los Santos said that the experience of these days in Cuba has been wonderful, because they live the truth of the people, in the midst of the difficult economic times they are going through, detailed the Presidency of the Republic on Twitter.
“We have witnessed the great strength of the Cuban people, how they resist and bring out the best of their creativity,” stressed the co-executive director of The People’s Forum.
Our commitment upon returning, he said, will not only be to raise our voice, but to organize a different political project in the United States, and we will always be by Cuba’s side.
Since April 24, one of the largest delegations to visit the country in decades has been in the Caribbean nation, with the aim of renewing the ties of solidarity between the people of Cuba and the United States despite the aggressive foreign policy of the president. American Joe Biden.
It is made up of young people who are visiting Cuba for the first time and others with a long history of solidarity and accompaniment towards the Cuban Revolution.

Photos: Estudios Revolución

 

Cuba defends its vision of integration and regional cooperation

A big hug, dear Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of the United Mexican States, and I see that you got your way with the idea that the next meeting will be in Mexico(Verbatim version - Presidency of the Republic)

Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu

A hug also to the Heads of State and Government, to the Vice President of Venezuela, to the Ministers who are leading the delegations participating in this Summit;

Good afternoon everyone.

And thanks to Mexico, which had the initiative to call this summit and invite Cuba.

I well remember, because it was a very special day of high feelings, there in Campeche, when brother Andrés Manuel raised the idea of this summit, while we suggested taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the regional political scenario to launch projects of benefit to the peoples. It was almost mid-February and here we are, gathered to flesh out that idea.

That is the primary merit of this meeting: its sense of the urgency that faces us with the tough challenges of these times. That is why I want to start by urging that we exploit the potential, the capacity and the political will to launch practical measures, without delay, which will have substantial benefits for the well-being of our peoples.

We agree on the proposals for facilitating and expanding the exchange of goods.

I want to add that, apart from the removal of tariffs and other barriers, we can undertake barter trade. This is an attractive basis for Cuba, given the severe restrictions of the blockade and our arbitrary and groundless inclusion on the list of countries which, according to the United States, sponsor terrorism; this seriously hampers our country’s financial relations.

I believe we must also promote the exchange of (essential) services and work together to increase food production in general and that of the basics and essentials in particular, and improve access to these.

Here I want to propose that we immediately take maximum advantage of the installed industrial production capacity in our countries in ways that contribute to complementarity.

By way of example: In Cuba, we have two fertilizer plants but lack the necessary raw materials. To produce NPK, we need phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. If certain countries agree to supply Cuba with these, we would be in a position to produce fertilizers and export them. On this basis, we place on the market formed by the present group of countries and those that join later, a product essential to food production at a better and more stable price than that imposed on us by the international market.

Another area I think we should work on is the model of technology transfer for food production in which, for example, Argentina is highly developed, as foreign minister Cafiero mentioned at the ministerial meeting.

In the services sector Cuba of course offers its extensive experience, especially in the healthcare field. We have capacity at the level of 1,000 partitioners of comprehensive medicine available to the populations that need them and can also launch programs for dealing with diabetes, impaired vision and other chronic diseases.

I also suggest that we improve the connectivity of our air and sea transportation, to enable effective intra regional supply chains. This will require maximum exploitation of our countries’ logistics and warehousing capacities and will contribute to bringing down freight costs.

We are sure that the proposals and initial measures generated by this meeting will rapidly extend to other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Our commitment to an integrationist vision and to regional cooperation will be the cornerstone of our joint efforts. On this basis, it will be possible also to take advantage of the advances within CELAC.

Cuba’s readiness and commitment is not in doubt. We are very interested in rapid, concrete results. We must not be tardy or wanting while our people wait.

Many thanks.

Translated by ESTI

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