Ten years after receiving its health registration and approval to be used in the national health system, the medicine Heber­prot-P has been used to treat over 55,000 Cuban patients nationwide, with positive results.

Developed by a team of experts led by Dr. Jorge Berlanga Acosta from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Heber­prot-P is an injectable medication used to treat advanced foot ulcers in diabetic patients by accelerating the healing process, thus reducing the risk of amputation in over 78% of cases.

The only one of its kind in the world, the product received the Gold Medal awarded by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and offers a novel therapeutic solution to a condition which previously lacked effective treatments.

Speaking to Granma, Iris Lugo, Heber Biotec S.A. enterprise’s communication specialist, stated that at a global level Heberprot-P has been used to help treat around 250,000 people and is registered in 23 countries, including Russia, Argentina, Venezuela, Turkey, Colombia, Ecuador, Ukraine and Vietnam.