HAVANA, Cuba.- Guaranteeing the demand and coverage of medicines in the national health system and incorporating new products into the national market to replace imports, are priorities of BioCubaFarma, its president Eduardo Martinez said.

In the annual balance of the Business Group, attended by the Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, Martinez said the increase in the levels of production allowed to decrease by approximately 40% the lack of drugs compared to the last 2 years.

However, the official added, a group of drugs were not available at various times in 2018, a complex year due to the escalation of the American blockade to Cuba.

Martinez highlighted that BioCubaFarma works to consolidate the biopharmaceutical industry as one of the activities of greater export capacity in the economy.

Achievements and Challenges

In the annual balance of the Business Group BioCubaFarma, its President Eduardo Martinez, highlighted that in 2018 it was possible to introduce 23 new products in the national market and obtained 21 new sanitary records.

He emphasized that several products in the development phase for the treatment of cancer, second cause of death in Cuba, have had advances in clinical studies and some of them show important levels of survival and improvement in the quality of life of the patients.

The president of BioCubaFarma highlighted the progress made in the CIGB-Mariel Biotechnology Industrial Complex and the completion of several investments, and insisted on the need to increase exports and diversify products and markets.

Eduardo Martinez said that the Business Group is working on the creation of joint ventures in Cuba and abroad and on the insertion into technological parks.