HAVANA, Cuba.- Cuban institutions received on Thursday in this capital the trophy of the World Organization of Industrial Property (WOIP) for their biotechnological results, software industry, computerization of society, and services of high added value.

The WOIP Deputy General Director, Geoffrey Onyeama, handed over the prizes to representatives of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and of the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM), as well as of the Enterprise of Information Technologies and Advanced Telematic Services (CITMATEL), during a ceremony held at the capital’s Jose Marti Memorial.

Onyeama asserted that the innovations of these institutions are world-class, in terms of research and development, production, services and commercialization.

Cuba has the necessary important human resources to jointly achieve great advances of this kind, which allow for the protection of the health of their people and of humanity, stated the expert, of Nigerian nationality.

The most recent injectable medicament of the CIGB is Heberprot–P, for the treatment of the diabetic foot, which received the Gold Medal of the WOIP and patents in the continents, including highly developed nations.

The CIM obtains “humanized” monoclonal antibodies by way of genetic engineering, which are used to diagnose tumors, among other uses.

CITMATEL develops, produces and sells products and services of added value as a result of the application of science and innovation, with quality, professionalism and high competitiveness for national and international clients.

The Cuba Rum Corporation S.A. obtained in 2007 a similar prize.

A total of nine national projects have deserved the Gold Medal of the WOIP. The first one was the Mengoc–BC vaccine, in 1989, the only effective product in the world against group B meningococus.