UK's Beckpharma licenses health products from Cuban institute

A British pharmaceutical distributor, Beckpharma Ltd., said it licensed two Cuban healthcare products to sell in Europe as part of a broader effort for trade links.

The products, a natural surfactant for the treatment of premature babies and a test for vaginitis in women, were developed at Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria, a biotechnology institute in Cuba. They are already on the market there and in some other Latin American countries. The agreement is under a 50:50 revenue-sharing deal, said Mike Mort, managing director of Beckpharma, in an interview.

Mort said he expects both products will start bringing in revenue within the next 18 to 24 months. He also added agreements on another three products from the Cuban institute are expected by year-end. In addition another 10 products are currently under review.

BeckPharama has been focusing on the Cuban market since its inception 18 months ago. The company was encouraged to form partnerships in Cuba under a United Nations-sponsored collaboration program between the countries. The program offers a customized support service, covering every stage of the new venture start-up process.

“The Cuba economy is strapped for cash so in many ways we are providing some revenue for them,” said Mort.

The focus of the program is the area around the Cuban capital, Havana, known as the Western Scientific Pole, which comprises 52 research institutions with approximately 4,000 scientists.

Over the past 20 years the Cuban government has invested heavily in biotechnology as part of an integrated health care system. As a result the research institutions have very close links to hospitals and patients, and also to drug development and manufacturing facilities. In total there are more than 100 R&D facilities. Although it has been successful in meeting the medical needs of its own population, the four-decade-long U.S. economic embargo means the Cuban biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry has seen limited commercial development.

The first product under the latest Beckpharma license is Surface, a natural surfactant that can be used for the two million premature babies around the world who are born without sufficient quantities of their own normal lung surfactant required to take their first breath of life. The potential market for this product in Europe is about ₤100 million, and the product is expected to be registered during the middle of 2006, said Mort.

The second product is NewVagin, a diagnostic for identifying the main causative organisms of vaginitis. It identifies a range of common pathogens in a single test, which can take place in the doctor’s office rather than waiting for samples to be tested in a hospital pathology laboratory. Mort said the product is aiming at the European market where two to three million tests take place each year. The potential market for the test is from ₤50 million to ₤100 million. Registration is expected to be finalised by the middle of 2006 as “the diagnostic product is not under such vigorous process,” said Mort.

www.Beckpharma.com