UN agency gives special recognition to Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccine developers

The director-general of the United Nations agency, Daren Tang, will presented the award. 

According to the general director of the Cuban Industrial Property Office, María de los Ángeles Sánchez, this is a recognition of scientists for their contributions to national economic and technological development.

The WIPO Gold Medal Program was established in 19 to stimulate innovative activity worldwide, particularly in developing countries, and to attract and increase public recognition of inventors and their work.

Cuba has received a dozen of these awards for obtaining products such as the drug Heberprot-P from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB). The invention entitled AntiCD6 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and diagnosis of psoriasis from the Center for Molecular Immunology.

The first of these was received in 1989 by the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) for the immunogen against Meningococcus (Neisseria Meningitidis) of group B, and in 1999 it was followed by Policosanol or PPG, a multipurpose drug, from the National Center for Scientific Research.

In this case, special recognition is given to the scientists who developed the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Soberana 01 and Soberana 02 were developed in Cuba by IFV, while Abdala and Mambisa were developed at CIGB.