SWISS DELEGATION VISITS CUBAN BIOTECH INDUSTRY

A Swiss delegation has recently visited Cuba in order to learn from the country's biotechnology sector, which is one of the most advanced in the developing world. Switzerland has scant relations with Cuba in the field of science and is looking to strengthen co-operation in this area.

Cuba currently exports biotechnology products to 50 countries in the world, mainly in Latin America and Asia, and overseas sales total around US$300mn per year. Cuba is one of the top three drug exporting nations in Latin America.

Well-funded research centres, such as the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana, have been the driving force in the industry, while vaccines have been the main area of therapeutic focus. Presently, Cuba is conducting research on vaccines for diseases such as Dengue fever, HIV/AIDS, cholera vaccine and cancer. A vaccine for a strain of meningitis has already been successfully developed.

Industry observers say that the success of Cuba's biotech industry is due to the fact that the collapse of the Soviet Union and the US trade embargo have forced the country to develop home-grown solutions to local health programmes. Analysts point to the low level of wages for scientific researchers, which has given the industry a competitive advantage against international rivals.