Winner of a National Prize from the Cuban Academy of Sciences in 2014, this humanized monoclonal antibody has been part of the medical care protocol for COVID-19 in Cuba since April.

The World Intellectual Property Organization’s 2015 Gold Medal winner, Itolizumab is a molecule that was developed by CIM for the treatment of lymphomas and leukemias. The antibody is capable of blocking the proliferation and activation of T-lymphocytes, behaving as an immunomodulator.

In a study on the island, 60% of COVID patients in serious or critical condition, who received the medication, recovered their respiratory functioning and survived these severe stages of the disease, as reported on the BioCubaFarma website.

Thanks to the vision of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, Cuba has developed a powerful biotechnology industry, which has focused on saving lives during the epidemic, here and around the world.

The prestige of this sector’s accomplishments continues to rise, with evidence abounding of the effectiveness of the antiviral Recombinant Human Interferon Alpha 2b in the treatment of COVID-19.

During this difficult time, interest in acquiring Cuban interferon, distributed internationally under the name of Heberon, has been expressed by some 80 countries.

(Source: Granma)

MSc Ariel Rodríguez, of the Cubaenergía company, explains that the enormous volume of rice husks that remains after each harvest, as a residue of the drying process, is one of the main pollution problems facing the municipality of Los Palacios.

On the other hand, he points out, this complex is among the largest energy consumers in the territory, using more than a ton of diesel a day to dry rice.Hence the idea of ​​seeking technology that would eliminate the problem of husk disposal and find a way to use this byproduct as a resource.

With the support of the Basal project (Environmental Bases for Local Food Sustainability), affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, and international collaboration, the machinery was acquired, and the plant erected, now in the start-up process.Broadly speaking, its operation consists of converting husks into a combustible gas, using this as fuel to dry rice.

Plus, up to 2.4 MWh of electricity can be generated to reduce the plant’s consumption from the national grid, and contribute to the system when the plant is not operating.Engineer Yusniel Illas, director of the plant, stated that the goal is to eventually replace all the diesel that is needed in the drying process.

The Chinese leader said this is the first time that he has received a foreign statesman in his birthplace, after welcoming Modi in the ancient city of Xi’an.

Xi thanked the visitor the warming reception Modi gave to him when he visited India in September 2014 and accompanied to visit Gujarat, a place where the head of government of the neighboring country was born.

Official versions of the meeting between Xi and Modi states that the Chinese head of State applauded the frequent high-level contacts between the two nations, and the joint promotion of areas such as railway construction and industrial parks.

The strengthening of exchanges, control of border areas and the maintenance of good communication in regional and international issues are also included in the list.

The president said the Indian premier that the bilateral relations are experiencing a stable development and have broad perspective, and expressed confidence that Modi’s visit boosts the mutual strategic partnership, with great potential for development.

On his first visit to China since he took office as prime minister in May 2014, Modi said he was pleased to be in this country and visit historical places of interest existing in Xian, and expressed appreciation for the high cultural exchange between these two ancient civilizations.

The premier will travel tomorrow to Beijing, where he expects to meet with his Chinese peer Li Keqiang, and the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhang Dejiang.

The visit of the Indian prime minister to China is the first stop of a tour that will also take him to Mongolia and South Korea.

(Prensa Latina)