Iran, Cuba to Produce COVID-19 Vaccine

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Cuba and Iran have agreed to "include the transfer of technology for the production in Iran of SOBERANA 02 between the two countries in a contract" according to a statement published by the Finlay Institute for Vaccines in Cuba on its website.

The Finlay Vaccine Institute of Cuba and the Pasteur Institute of Iran announced in a joint statement on Saturday that "Cuba and Iran have a long history of cooperation in the biotechnology sector. In particular, the collaboration between the Finlay Vaccine Institute of Cuba and the Pasteur Institute of Iran on the COVID-19 vaccine is based on a strategic relationship in the field of research and development of vaccine technologies."

The two research institutes stressed the importance of the previous technology transfer agreement between them and the transfer of technology to produce the SOBERANA 02 vaccine in Iran.

The institutes indicated that there are "intensive weekly scientific discussions between managers and scientists from the two institutes related to clinical trials, the transfer process; production optimization have continued this year. The cooperation includes the joint production of the vaccine in Iran following a phase III clinical trial in this country."

The joint statement underscored that the cooperation between the two institutions "will have a positive impact on the health of the population of both countries."

Previously, the Iranian Minister of Health, Saeed Namaki, announced that the Cuban SOBERANA 02 vaccine received an emergency use authorization in Iran.

The Finlay Vaccine Institute of Cuba and the Pasteur Institute of Iran signed a collaboration agreement between them on January 8, 2021.

The Director of Scientific Research at BioCubaFarma, Rolando Perez Rodriguez, had previously confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the agreement with Iran aims for joint efforts between the two countries to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. They will proceed by conducting part of Soberana 02's third phase of clinical trials in Iran and transferring this vaccine production technology to it.

Rodriguez stressed that the agreement allows for manufacturing a part of the SOBERANA 02 vaccine in Iran, which would increase the number of doses produced.

Pasteur Institute of Iran officials and the Iranian Ministry of Health have denied what was recently rumored about the severance of cooperation between Iran and Cuba on developing a COVID-19 vaccine.

Cuba is one of the least-affected Latin American countries by the pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Caribbean country reached 19,122, and the number of COVID-19 deaths reached 180. Cuba has a population of 11.2 million.