Belarus, Cuba discuss simplified drug registration, joint production

The health ministries of Belarus and Cuba are interested in simplified drug registration and joint production, First Deputy Healthcare Minister of Belarus Yelena Krotkova told reporters after a meeting with a Cuban delegation, BelTA has learned.

According to her, Belarus' Healthcare Ministry has been cooperating with Cuba's Ministry of Public Health for more than 15 years. A number of meetings took place in 2022, and three key issues were raised at the meeting on 28 February.

Firstly, the parties discussed simplified registration of medicines produced in Cuba and Belarus. Since last year, two Belarusian medicines have been registered. The Healthcare Ministry expects that more medicines will be registered in Cuba. According to Yelena Krotkova, this will facilitate the export of Belarusian medicines not only to Cuba, but also to other Latin American countries.

“The second block of issues is the production of medicines in our country. An agreement was reached to localize a number of Cuban biological products. We have already done it: since 2015 two Cuban medicines have been bottled in bulk in Belarus,” the first deputy minister noted.

The third block of issues concerned medical education: the training of Belarusian specialists to produce biological preparations and conduct their laboratory control. Cuba has extensive experience in this field and is ready to share it, Yelena Krotkova noted. “We are ready to host Cuban postgraduate students and doctors for training,” she added.

In addition, the parties discussed the exchange of research information, new methods, participation in conferences online and offline, new approaches to providing medical care.