Hanoi, Apr 21 — Cooperation in the biopharmaceutical sector between Vietnam and Cuba is currently a top priority, stated here the vice president of the Biopharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Industries Group (BioCubaFarma), Santiago Dueñas.
He recalled there is a historical collaboration relationship between both countries in the field of human health, under which there are prior agreements for the distribution in this Indochinese nation of Cuban products, essentially preventive vaccines and medicines.
At a press conference, Dueñas highlighted that 2025 marked a milestone and significantly expanded bilateral cooperation in this area with the creation of the joint venture Genfarma, whose main objective is "to bring health to the Vietnamese people with high-quality products manufactured in the country."
The executive emphasized that significant progress has been made in the main elements planned for a company of this nature, which already has an innovative registered product, Nimotuzumab, for the treatment of head and neck cancer as well as brain tumors.
"We are very satisfied with what has been achieved so far and we hope that during the course of this year we can transfer technologies for other products, along with which will go the training of Vietnamese personnel," he stressed.
Genfarma is currently undergoing an investment and assimilation process of technology and knowledge of a significant level of complexity contributed by Cuba, which are of vital importance for the preparation of highly qualified local human resources.
In that sense, the vice president of BioCubaFarma predicted that this will be a successful project, through which a wide range of products and technologies can be developed, since it is not only about technology transfer from Cuba to Vietnam, but also about being able to develop joint research for mutual benefit.
Referring to the business group, he explained that it has its origins in the creation in 1965, by initiative of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, of the National Center for Scientific Research (Cenic).
BioCubaFarma's main resource is its human capital, he affirmed, and detailed that they have more than 19,000 highly qualified workers, including some 300 doctors and more than 1,500 Masters in Science, who master more than 50 technological platforms.
The entity's portfolio currently includes more than 1,000 products for screening, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and wellness, many of which have been exported to some 70 countries.
BioCubaFarma, whose motto is "Science for a Healthy Life," currently has 54 companies, 17 of which are outside the country, has more than 2,100 international patent registrations, and has developed several innovative or unique products for diseases that today have no effective medical solution.
Among the latter, NeuralCIM stands out, with an effectiveness of more than 65 percent in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which not only stops the progression of the condition but is also capable of reversing cognitive damage, making it unique in the world.
