Dr. Santiago Dueñas Carrera (left), Vice President of Cuba’s BioCubaFarma group, and Cuban Ambassador to Việt Nam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes at the press briefing in Hà Nội on April 21. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Biotechnology cooperation is emerging as a promising new pillar of the special relationship between Việt Nam and Cuba as both countries seek to deepen collaboration in science, technology, and health care.

At a press briefing in Hà Nội on Tuesday (local time), Dr. Santiago Dueñas Carrera, Vice President of Cuba’s BioCubaFarma group, highlighted the island nation’s strengths in biotechnology, particularly in biomedicine and pharmaceuticals, and underscored opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation.

The event, hosted by the Cuban Embassy in Việt Nam and attended by Cuban Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, showcased Cuba’s biotech achievements, with products now present in more than 70 countries.

The representative from BioCubaFarma emphasised that the longstanding Việt Nam-Cuba friendship provides a solid foundation for further advancing comprehensive cooperation, especially in science and technology – a key driver of socio-economic development and national healthcare sovereignty.

Carrera noted that Cuba’s progress is rooted in an integrated model combining research and production, serving both domestic demand and export. BioCubaFarma employs over 19,000 professionals and operates under stringent international standards, enabling it to transfer technologies to 10 countries while also training high-quality human resources for partners.

He also highlighted Cuba’s innovation capacity, which balances technology acquisition with the development of homegrown cutting-edge products, including breakthrough biological drugs for rare diseases. The group is currently implementing around 400 research projects in priority areas such as oncology, infectious diseases, immunology, neuroscience, metabolic disorders, and agricultural biotechnology.

A key milestone in bilateral cooperation is the establishment of Genfarma in 2025, a joint venture between BioCubaFarma and Vietnamese partners. The initiative marks a shift towards more substantive and practical collaboration, particularly as Việt Nam strives to enhance self-reliance in vaccine, pharmaceutical, and bioproduct manufacturing.

Beyond commercial operations, Genfarma is expected to play a strategic role in receiving and transferring original Cuban technologies to Việt Nam for local production. The joint venture will enable scientists from both countries to collaborate closely and leverage shared resources to produce specialised medicines domestically, thereby reducing reliance on external supplies and lowering treatment costs for patients.

With Việt Nam’s pharmaceutical market projected to reach US$10 billion by 2026, the country offers favourable conditions for Cuban technologies and therapies to expand their presence.

Founded in 2012, BioCubaFarma is Cuba’s national biotechnology and pharmaceutical group, accounting for roughly half of the country’s research activities. It specialises in developing and commercialising high-tech products, including medicines, diagnostic systems, and medical devices.

Notable products include Heberprot-P for diabetic foot ulcers, Hebermin for tissue regeneration, the monoclonal antibody Nimotuzumab for cancer treatment, the VA-Mengoc-BC meningitis vaccine, and CIMAvax for lung cancer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group also developed widely used vaccines such as Soberana 02 and Abdala. — VNA/VNS