The Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico, concurrent with Cuba, led a delegation comprising doctors, pharmacists and biotechnology engineers from the Department of Medical Services (DMS), Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)/National Biopharmaceutical Facility (NBF), Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), Mahidol University (MU), Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA, MoPH, to visit Cuba in order to learn from Cuba and seek cooperation in biopharmaceutical and clinical trial fields between Thailand and Cuba.

           The delegation held meetings with BioCubaFarma (Cuban holding company for biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry), the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM), Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), the Finlay Institute of Vaccines (IFV), the National Center of Biopreparation (BIOCEN), the Center for State Control of Medicine, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED), the National Coordinating Center of Clinical Trial (CENCEC), and visited clinical trial sites at Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital and the Radiobiology and Oncology Institute (INOR) of Cuba.  

           Cuba made outstanding progress in medical science, public health and pharmaceutical research and development, especially biopharmaceutical production with biotechnology. Cuba has been recognized by UNESCO as the country with the lowest rate of infant mortality in the Latin American and Caribbean region, and by WHO as the country with a health system that can serve as an example for other countries in the region. Moreover, it was the first country in the world to eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. It has developed 4 types of therapeutic vaccines against cancer. Cuba sent the largest number of medical personnel to help Africa during the ebola outbreak.

          Regarding biopharmaceuticals, the Cuban government has grouped R&D institutes and biotechnological medicines and medical devices exporting companies, such as the above-mentioned CIM, CIGB, IFV and BIOCEN, under one holding company called “BioCubaFarma.” Now, BioCubaFarma already has products available in 43 countries and joint ventures with 9 countries, including Thailand (Abinis, which is joint venture between CIM and Siam Bioscience of Thailand). The WHO has already recognized their products, such as vaccines for Hepatitis B, Encephalitis and flu prevention. Other interesting medical products that Cuba is already able to develop, while Thailand is not yet capable, are, for example, HEBERPROT-P, a therapeutic vaccine for advanced diabetic foot ulcers with high risk of amputation; Heberprovac, a therapeutic GnRH based vaccine to treat advanced prostate cancer, developed by CIGB; and CIMAvax-EGF, a therapeutic vaccine for advanced NSCLC, developed by CIM. CIMAvax-EGF was the first high-efficiency therapeutic cancer vaccine in the worl

           Moreover, since Thailand is in the process of establishing the National Clinical Trials Coordinating Center, the delegation took this opportunity to learn about clinical research and clinical trial systems in Cuba as well. 

           This project has been carried out in line with “Thailand 4.0” policy of the government, and has contributed to the establishment of the relevant networks, technical cooperation, and joint R&D between Thailand and Cuba. This could lead to a reduction of expenses related to importation of such group of medicines from abroad for Thailand, and may increase accessibility to drugs for patients in our country, especially for those with low income.