Heberprot-P arrives in the EU
Granma | Thursday, 25 May 2017 | Click here for original article
Slovakia becomes the first EU country to use the Cuban pharmaceutical which treats diabetic foot ulcers
A delegation of Cuban health professionals arrived to Slovakia May 24, where they will offer assistance in the application of Heberprot-P, a unique medication developed by the island’s Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB) to treat diabetic foot ulcers, according to a report published on the Cuban Foreign Ministry website.
The note also highlighted that Slovakia will be the first country in the European Union (EU) to adopt the pharmaceutical, since it was launched on the international market over 10 years ago.
According to statistics from the National Medical Information Center, 8,000 people currently suffer from diabetic foot ulcers in the European country.
Slovakia’s Health Minister Boris Bánovsk, stated that the goal is to offer citizens modern, specialist treatment, able to cure the condition and improve their quality of life.
The aim is to see the largest possible number of patients, who meet the indicated requirements, receive the treatment, noted the official.
Meanwhile, the Cuban doctors were received by State Secretary at Slovakia’s Ministry of Health Andrea Kalavská, while the island’s Ambassador to the country, Yamila Pita, was also present during the encounter.
Since being launched on the international market, Heberprot-P has been registered in more than 20 countries and used to treat some 250,000 people worldwide, according to figures provided by Cuban healthcare institutions.
The injectable medication, which speeds up the healing process in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and reduces the risk of lower limb amputation in almost 80% of cases, received the Intellectual Property gold medal awarded by the World Health Organisation.
