[ 2021-02-17 ]

Cuba to transfer COVID-19 vaccine technology to Ghana
The Cuban Government has offered to transfer
technology on a COVID-19 vaccine — currently
undergoing trial in that country — to Ghana
through an agreement with the Ghanaian
pharmaceutical industry.
Under the agreement, the Cuban Government will
supply active pharmaceutical ingredients for the
formulation, production and packaging of the
vaccine in Ghana.



COVID-19 vaccine

Known as the “Soberana 02”, the vaccine is
Cuba’s most advanced candidate against the
COVID-19 virus.

Countries such as India, Vietnam, Iran, Venezuela
and Pakistan have also expressed interest in
acquiring the Soberana 02 vaccine.

The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Pedro Luis
Despaigne Gonzalez, who disclosed that, said the
vaccine had passed the Phase I trial in Cuba,
indicating that the Phase II trial had also been
carried out on 910 patients, while Phase III trial
was expected to commence before the end of
February 2021.



Meeting with FDA

Mr Gonzalez was briefing the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Food and Drugs Authority
(FDA), Mrs Delese Darko, on progress made so far
on the development of Cuba’s Covid-19 vaccine.

The meeting, at the request of the ambassador, was
to brief Ghana’s FDA on the status of clinical
trials being conducted in Cuba on four Covid-19
candidate vaccines, each at different phases of
clinical development.

Energy Quest Show
It was a follow-up on an earlier one held on
November 24, 2020, during which the FDA and the
Centre for State Control of Drugs and Medical
Devices (CECMED) of the Ministry of Public Health
of the Republic of Cuba (MINSAP) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen
bilateral relations and cooperation in the area of
health promotion.

In attendance were the Deputy CEO for Health
Products and Technologies Division of the FDA, Mr
Seth Seneake; the Deputy CEO for Corporate
Services of the FDA, Mrs Yvonne Nkrumah, and the
pharmaceutical liaison for the Republic of Cuba in
Ghana, Mrs Mercy Mintah Gyampoh.



Solidarity

Mrs Darko expressed gratitude to the people and
the Government of Cuba for their continued
solidarity with Ghana, and pledged the continued
support of the FDA in the sharing of its
experience as a Maturity Level Three regulatory
agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mrs Darko further expressed the appreciation of
the institution for the intended technological
transfer support from Cuba to Ghana.

She said the meeting presented an opportunity to
render support, build capacity, further develop
and challenge the local pharmaceutical industry
— both allopathic and herbal.

Mrs Darko mentioned that through that, the local
pharmaceutical industry would make progress in the
promotion of healthy practices to improve the
health standards of the Ghanaian populace.

Source - Graphic Online

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