Finlay institute of vaccines signs a memorandum of understanding with an Italian company for the production of Soberana 02

An agreement to start the production of the Sovereign 02 vaccine in the final stages in Italy was signed today between the Finlay Institute of Vaccines (IFV), the Italian company ADIENNE Pharma & Biotech and the Italian Agency for economic and cultural exchange with Cuba (AICEC). ), in the context of the BioHabana 2022 congress.

The memorandum of understanding—signed by Vicente Vérez, general director of the IFV, Antonio Francesco Di Naro, president of ADIENNE Pharma & Biotech, and Michelle Curto, president of AICEC—plans to start formulating, filling, and packaging the Cuban immunogen in this European nation, he pointed out. Verez.

Based on an evaluation of the Soberana 02 vaccine itself and the impact that this immunogen has had on pediatric vaccination, we have managed to arouse the interest of this company—capable of producing the drug—thanks to the (AICEC) that has helped this approach, he stressed.

He added that the intention is in a second phase to be able to evaluate both this vaccine and others from the institution that could be fully produced by the Italian company. “We have reached this agreement, moved in this direction, which is very positive for our vaccine,” he considered.

“We know the results we have with the Sovereign 02 vaccine in pediatrics and its fundamental contributions to the success of the national mass vaccination campaign in Cuba. It is an unprecedented event, with a vaccine that was also conceived as a vaccine for children from the beginning, the only one against covid-19 conceived as such, which allowed us to move forward very quickly,” said Vérez Bencomo.

Dagmar García Rivera, Research Director of the IFV added that Soberana 02 also managed to demonstrate in clinical trials all the advantages that conjugate vaccines provide for the pediatric population.

“This agreement adds to a series of actions that have been carried out between Cuba and Italy in the course of the pandemic. Let us remember that this story begins with the first medical brigades that went to Italy in the most difficult moments of covid-19, when it was still unknown what could happen. Our doctors got there, then we carried out the Sovereign Plus-Turin clinical trial, in which Italian citizens came to Cuba to be vaccinated with Sovereign Plus, and the signing of this memorandum is a third important action, in which we are already, specifically, signing an agreement to start the production of the sovereign 02 vaccine in the final stages, in Italy”, García Rivera pointed out.

According to the general director of the IFV, the interest is to continue advancing in all the processes for the prequalification of the World Health Organization of Soberana 02, its distribution in the world, thinking of a potential moment of entry of the Cuban immunogen—with proven safety and efficacy—in Europe or even North America. “This requires alliances to share science,” he said.

An additional document was also signed between the BioCubaFarma business group and the Italian Agency for economic and cultural exchange with Cuba (AICEC).

The Ambassador of the Italian Republic in Cuba, His Excellency Mr. Roberto Bellano, His Excellency Mr. Juan Garay, Director of Collaboration of the European Union in Cuba and Eduardo Martínez, President of BioCubaFarma, among other authorities of the country’s biopharmaceutical sector, were present at the event.