WE
only knew Cuba for its great revolutionary
Che Guevara and the infallible Marxist
leader Fidel Castro. The curtain of ignorance
about the country lifted up for the people
in Pakistan with the media coverage of
the Cuban teams of doctors and paramedics
providing humanitarian help in the earthquake-hit
areas up north. For the first time the
two nations started working together.
The setting up of the Cuban embassy in Islamabad is a recent phenomenon. What’s
more, no one knew that a revolution in biotechnological science had begun to
evolve around the mid 80's when teams of high-caliber Cuban scientists
started returning home after receiving state-of-the-art training in Europe
for several years. The Cuban government invested heavily in science and biotechnology
around the same time and within two decades, it was able to establish 52 scientific
research institutes. Currently,
it has more than 12,000 scientists. Its health
indicators show that the country is at par health-wise with the US and UK.
Its infant mortality rate is 6.4 per 1,000 and the life expectancy is 75 years.
It
would certainly be surprising to note
that today Cuba produces and exports
the world’s most effective hepatitis
B vaccine to more than 30 countries.
Its biotechnologists have also developed
the world’s first synthetic vaccines
for the prevention of pneumonia and meningitis.
Now Cuban scientists are poised to provide
anti-cancer medication to the world.
All these products are a lot less expensive
than similar items imported from developed
countries. The Clinton government had
to bend its policies to allow a major
pharmaceutical company to make a deal
with Havana’s Carlos J. Finlay
Institute to license its anti-meningitis
vaccine back in 1999. It is believed
to be the only effective vaccine against
meningitis meningococcus groups B and
C which are widespread among children,
and have mortality rates of 7 to 19 per
cent. It was the first entry of a Cuban
medical product into the western market.
Despite
their economic problems, Cubans have
excellent laboratories “and
their doctors and scientists have maintained
world-class standards,” says Professor
Michael Levin, head of the Paediatric
Unit at St Mary’s Hospital in London,
who is pioneering a joint UK-Cuban medical
research project at the Finlay Institute.
The
Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine
(IPK), working closely with the World
Health Organisation, is developing a
new cholera vaccine and carrying out
research to develop the first vaccine
against Aids.
Professor
Paul Farmer of medical anthropology at
the Harvard Medical School says that
with a “budget less than that of
a single large research hospital at Harvard,
IPK has conducted important basic science
research, helped develop novel vaccines,
trained thousands of researchers from
Cuba and from around the world, and developed
ties with researchers in the US.”
The
Cuban Biotechnology Centre (CIGB), founded
in 1980, opened its research and development
facilities back in 1986. The Centre is
devoted to basic and applied research,
product development and production of
vaccines and therapeutics. It has pioneered
research into anti-cancer vaccines. In
1994, the Centre for Molecular Immunology,
which is engaged in research on developing
an anti HIV-Aids vaccine, was attached
to CIGB. It is known for research in
vaccines, interferon, pharmaceuticals,
diagnostics, plant and animal biotechnology,
and industrial biotechnology. The products
developed in CIGB laboratories are registered
in 61 countries and exported to 32.
Located
in the western Havana bio-cluster, the
CIGB is a large research production complex
where research is being carried out development
of new vaccine formulations by means
of genetic engineering techniques, creating
new combine vaccines, adjuvants and immuno-potentiators.
The
pharmaceutical division is devoted to
research and development of new products
for treating diseases in humans. The
Immunotechnology and Diagnosis Division
is at the forefront of R&D and production
of highly effective, rapid response,
low-cost diagnostic systems, by using
new tools, such as Functional Genomics.
At
the Chemistry-Physics Division, sciences
of Bioinformatics, Proteomics and Genomics
are used to create innovative drugs.
The Mammal Cell Genetics Division is
devoted to basic and applied research,
mainly in the field of transgenic animals
and to the development of products for
animal health. At the Plant Molecular
Biology Division research work is being
carried out on Plant Cells Genetics,
particularly transgenesis, searching
for solutions for bioagriculture problems
by developing new species with improved
qualities through the implementation
of innovative biotechniques.
The
CIGB networks with the leading groups
in the field of biotechnology in Austria,
Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The
Netherlands, United Kingdom and USA,
among other countries. It has developed
business relationships with companies
and institutions in more than 50 countries.
The
CIGB’s leader products are recombinant
hepatitis B vaccine, recombinant alpha
2b Interferon, recombinant Streptokinase,
Interferon gamma, Epidermal Growth Factor,
Erythropoietin, recombinant GSCF, Hib
preventive synthetic vaccine and vaccine
for the control of cattle tick.
CIGB’s
senior scientist, Dr Pedro Lopez Suara,
who was in Pakistan recently, told Dawn
Sci-tech World that many Third World
countries are eager to develop their
own biotechnology sectors, Malaysia,
India and Pakistan to name a few. Speaking
of Pakistan, he said CIGB is working
closely with a pharmaceutical company
for several years and many of its medicines,
are based on effective yet affordable
Cuban biotechnology.
Since
1986, CIGB is the most important research-development-production
center in Cuba. It has high-tech equipment
and is staffed with qualified personnel
to take a product through the process
from biological research to development
and production.
At the moment, two CIGB
products, Heberon Alfa R and Heberbiovac,
are being marketed in Pakistan. Heberon
Alfa R is an interferon to treat hepatitis
B and C, and Heberbiovac is a vaccine
against hepatitis B.
Recently,
a Cuban anti-cancer therapy, known as
TheraCIM hr3, was contracted to a joint
venture with a German pharmaceutical.
The German partner will be responsible
for taking the Cuban product through
further clinical trials and regulatory
processes so that it can enter the European
market.
A
new research product used in the treatment
of diabetic ulcers will soon be introduced
into treatment regimens in hospital centers
throughout the country, Dr Suarez informed.
He said this drug could prevent amputation
of the extremities in diabetic patients
as it stimulates granulation and epithelisation,
thus limiting surgery. |
