The lost Island of US
Cuba is an eventual promising market for North American companies. It remains unexplored even if Canadian and European companies have tried to establish in the island. Recently, several US companies have shown their interest to make business in the country, for instance, Pepsi Cola, Caterpillar and Marriott International, among others. In the science and technology field, some investments and interchange attempts have been examined between the two nations. Lately, the bicameral delegation that went to the island to investigate on the deafness cases also visited Cuban biotechnological centers. The good news has come: US companies have reached an agreement regarding Heperbrot-P.
Heperbrot-Pis a Cuban biotechnological product that prevents and heals the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). The Cuban Company Heber Biotec and the American company MercurioBiotec found a way to bring therapy to patients that suffer from the disease aiming at the improvement of the patients’ lives. According to Cuban authorities, both enterprises are waiting US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve its testing.
Heperbrot-Phas has been tested in Cuban patients and other countries with very good results, as the BioCubaFarma Grouprevealedduring a press release. With the new agreement, the Group expects to reduce to more than the half the current number of patients with diabetic foot ulcer, as well as to avoid amputations. Cuba will unquestionably receive indirectly promotion for their products since both countries are not in their best diplomatic relationships yet the agreement could be a step to strengthen them and a good change for Cuba’s economy.
In USA every year around one million of people are diagnosed for the first time with DFU. In the last five years around 85.000 have suffered amputations due to the lack of an effective treatment which causes patients’ psychological, economic and social damages. Cuba expects the number of limbs amputated will decrease with Heperbrot-P.
Nevertheless, BioCubaFarmaGroup and MercurioBiotec will have a difficult task surmounting the blockade issue and the Treasury Department’s regulation. The blockade bans US enterprises to “help” Cuba government and any paying or money transfer. For more than five decades the island has been isolated, and global trade opportunities were reduced after Donald Trump’s revival of the cold war between both nations. Even so, with the agreement, the potential trade opportunities go both ways. Castro’s government after Obama’s visit thought the biotechnology industry will be reanimated since Cuba has a large number of vaccines not available at US market but that can be possibly commercialized if the relationships between the two countries improve.
The US blockade has being a more-than-50-year nightmare for Cuba. Despite the economic limitations set by the government of the United States, Cuba has been able to develop several fields, some of them very expensive ones, but who have allowed the island to float to the surface for several years of economic shortage. Biotechnology and medicine fuel the nation’s economic system that despite being obsolete allows the country to reach high social outcomes compared to those of the first-level nations with economically stronger. It’s a paradox the little island, a top-enemy of the Northern country, is willing to share one of its best products for the US people’s benefit.
