In an article published by the Nature magazine, one of the most prestigious scientific magazines worldwide, it was acknowledged the success accomplished by the Cuban strategy to develop anti-Covid 19 vaccines, when, once the pandemic started, it was determined not to wait for the response of rest of the world to face such a tremendous challenge.

The text, translated by Cubadebate, referred that authorities in the country, together with the scientists, understood that it was best, in order to protect the population, to be independents in this regard, alluding to the complexity created by blockade imposed by the United States that forbidden the export to the Island of products manufactured in this nation, making difficult the acquisition of vaccines and therapies.

From that moment on, the Finlay Institute and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology(CIGB), among other institutions began to develop their own immunogenic with the hope that at least one of them work to the purpose.

The bet seems to be fruitful, it was stated in the article, that provides example with the Soberana 02 which provides a 90% effectiveness against the symptomatic infection of Covid-19 when it is combined with an associated vaccine.

It is important to point out, it was added, that the combination seems to work against the Delta strain, highly transmissible SARS-COV-2 which has caused a sudden raising in hospital admissions and deaths all over the world and currently representative of most of the Covid-19 cases in Cuba.

Nature magazine pointed out that, as of November 18th, the 89% of the Cuban population, including children up to 2 years of age, had received at least one Soberana 02 or Abdala dose, this last one produced by the CIGB in Havana, with an effectiveness higher to 92% in the phase III trial that included more than 48 000 subjects.

The article emphasizes that Cuba has begun to export vaccines of its own manufacture to Venezuela, Vietnam, Irán, Nicaragua and requested to the W World Health Organization for their approval, an important step for them to become available to the rest of the developed world.

According to Craig Laferriere, Chief of Vaccine Development of Novateur Ventures in Toronto, Canada, who has compared the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 shots, protein-based immunogenic such as Soberana 02 and Abdala, both of them could have some features as advantages over other vaccines.

In spite of ARN messenger vaccines produced by Pfizer, with a branch in New York City and Moderna, with a branch in Massachussets, protein-based vaccines do not need been kept in extremely low temperatures which eases its distribution in remote areas, besides having less side effects, it was explained.

The text of Nature´s magazine echoed the statements of Vicente Pérez Vencomo, general director of the Finlay Vaccine Institute who assures that this scientific institution is in conditions of releasing 10 million doses of Soberana 02 per month.

In order to a further trial of the vaccine, he and his colleagues has associated to the Pasteur Institute in Teheran, under the aim of running a similar trial with 24 000 subjects in Iran, with the hope of a soon publishing of the results.

Nature magazine indicated that CIGB´s Abdala vaccine of the is also making great strides. Just like Soberana, technology used in the creation of this vaccine is an adaptation of a previous one, for Hepatitis B, developed by Cuba and that has been used for many years.

Merardo Pujol Ferrer, researcher for the CIGB said that 24 million doses had been administrated to 8 million people in Cuba, providing investigators an amount of data with which a safety and efficacy follow up can be carried out.

Meanwhile, concluded the article, Cuba moves forward with its development strategy of Soberana 01 vaccine of the Finlay Institute, Mambisa of the CIGB which still are in a different trial stages.

Taken from Gramma