Havana, June 22 (RHC)-- With more than 100 innovative projects, the Cuban Group of Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industries (BioCubaFarma) continues developing new medicines, despite the U.S. blockade against Cuba.

Dr. Rolando Pérez, BioCubaFarma's director of Science and Innovation, said that Washington's unilateral measure against Havana hinders access to the venture capital market and public financing foreseen at the world level for the creation of pharmaceuticals.

Speaking on the television program Mesa Redonda, Perez commented that this process takes eight to ten years. With the control of 50 percent of the international pharmaceutical market by the United States, Cuba cannot access cooperation funds with millions of dollars destined for research.

The application of regulatory standards and the availability of new technologies are other problems caused by the blockade and the logistic supply cycle, the latter due to the lack of raw materials and products, he added.

Despite the extraterritorial nature of that policy, the executive stressed that Cuban science has opted for integration with the national health system, universities, and other research and production centers to guarantee medical sovereignty.

BioCubaFarma produces 359 drugs out of the 619 included in the basic list on the island. Due to the tightening of U.S. measures against Cuba, 85 drugs were not produced in 2020 and 120 so far this year.