Vietnam, Cuba sign new biotech pacts aimed at cancer drug, vaccine development

The deal spotlights a Cuba-developed scorpion venom extract that supports cancer therapy—already used in several countries and offering hope to thousands of patients.

On the same day, the institute also signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) under the Cuban Health Ministry. 

The MoU covers collaboration on vaccines, biological products and health supplements.

The twin agreements, finalized during the Vietnam–Cuba Biomedical Technology Cooperation conference, lay the groundwork for a Vietnam–Cuba biotech collaboration center in Lam Dong Province. 

The center will focus on research and development, production and commercialization, and pilot policy implementation.

Following the signings, research and production activities will take place in Lam Dong.

Lam Dong's Party Secretary Y Thanh Ha Nie Kdam said the province—with its favorable climate, skilled workforce and strong infrastructure—can become a high-tech biomedical hub. 

The partnership with Cuba supports Vietnam's strategic goal of green and circular economy growth, he added.

Tran Luu Quang, head of the Party Central Committee's Policy and Strategy Board, said Cuba has built an internationally recognized biotechnological ecosystem and this deal marks a major transfer of advanced technology. 

He said Lam Dong is poised to become a prominent center for biomedical science, helping address major public health challenges.

Labiofam's R&D director, Aníbal Domínguez Odio, said the scorpion venom cancer-support extract is proven safe and effective, offering patients improved quality of life and extended survival. 

He noted Cuba's successful lung cancer vaccine Cimavax-EGF and its independent COVID-19 vaccines, Abdala and Soberana.

Lam Dong chairman Tran Hong Thai said the province is ready to become a leading biomedical center, with the collaboration marking a strategic step toward sustainable development and international biotech recognition.

The agreements pave the way for joint production of treatments for cancer, stroke, diabetes, and other conditions. 

Authorities said they aim to grow biotech into a pillar of Vietnam's future economy, with export potential and regional influence.