Havana, March 1 (RHC) Colombia’s National Institute for Drug and Food Surveillance (Invima) described as 'very positive' the meeting between its director, Francisco Rossi, and Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade Rodrigo Malmierca.

The meeting took place last week during an official visit of the Cuban official and his delegation in which they reaffirmed the will to create the Latin American Medicines Agency.

In statements to the press, Invima explained that the regulatory authorities from Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba are the ones leading the formulation and structuring of the agency, which would already have seven other countries that are interested in this initiative, namely Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Dominica.

Concerning how to understand this agency, Invima’s Office of International Affairs explained that its importance lies in the generation of a medical convergence among the member countries.

Rossi pointed out that ‘this is one of the most interesting and concrete integration projects and aims to make drug regulation common for the entire Latin American region and adapt it to our needs.’

The possible medical instance continues to raise awareness in the region as an initiative similar to the European Medicines Agency but with the conditions and specific characteristics of Latin America and the Caribbean. (Source: Prensa Latina)