Cuba and Brazil interested in promoting the health impact of science

The second day of the Brazil-Cuba Binational Steering Committee continues today, with the intention of re-boosting the technological transfer of high-impact health products, joint clinical studies and development of intervention projects.

These will be the purposes of a new stage in the cooperation strategy between both countries in science, technology, innovation and in the economic and industrial complex of health, in which the concept of connecting these sectors prevails.

During this Tuesday’s session, Marco Aurelio Carneiro, vice president of health production and innovation of Brazil, ratified the need to facilitate a greater environment of scientific collaboration and knowledge management.

For her part, Julieta María Cardozo from the Studies and Projects Funder (FINEP), shared the financing lines and references for bilateral cooperation.

Evandro Oliveira, general coordinator of strategic actions in clinical research of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, referred in turn to the opportunities to enhance productive capacities and innovation in medicines, among other possibilities.

During the event, Dr. Tania Crombet, director of Cuba’s Clinical Research of the Center for Molecular Immunology, explained that the country currently has a clinical trial underway with the nasal formulation NeuroEpo for patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Very effective due to the notable improvement of those affected by showing a reduction in the progression of cognitive deterioration, this medication is also tested for the treatment of ataxias, and has many potentialities in Parkinson’s, acute cerebral ischemias and other neurodegenerative diseases.

In the reactivation of the Brazil-Cuba Binational Steering Committee, the two nations advocate re-boosting cooperation in health, science, innovation and the regulatory area in medicines, equipment and medical devices.

Cuban ministers of Public Health José Ángel Portal and of Science, Technology and Environment Eduardo Martínez, participated in the meeting; while the Brazilian side was represented by Vice Minister of Health Carlos Gadhela and ambassador to Cuba Christian Vargas. Representatives of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries of both countries, regulatory authorities and clinical trial development authorities, also attended.

Vice Minister Gadhela pointed out Brazil’s interest in resuming ties with Cuba for its contributions to the improvement of his country’s health indicators and how the transfer of the technological platform 20 years ago favored the production of the first entirely Brazilian vaccine against Covid-19.

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