Cuba signs deal with Iran to test efficacy of homegrown COVID-19 vaccine

Cuba anunced on Saturday that it has signed a bilateral agreement with Iran to test efficacy of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccine. agreement has been signed between Cuba's state-run Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) and Pasteur Institute of Iran, which will see Phase three clinical trial of its vaccine in Islamic Republic. IFV in a statement said that agreement will complement clinical evidence of its vaccine candidate Soberana02 and will allow both countries to move faster with immunisation process. 

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" Pasteur Institute of Iran has a long history of collaboration with BioCubaFarma. Today ties of friendship between our two countries are strengned with a new agreement related to vaccine Soberana02 of Finlay Institute," said BioCubaFarma in a tweet. Finlay Vaccine Institute is one of BioCubaFarma institutions. 

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agreement between Havana and Tehran comes a day after Iran's Supreme Leer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country will t import COVID-19 vaccines from United States and Britain because of trust issues. Khamenei, during a live televised speech, said that COVID-19 vaccines from US and Britain are forbidden, calling m "completely untrustworthy". Communist Cuba is considered arch-rival of United States in Americas because of former siding with Russia during Cold War in 20th century.  

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Phase 1 & 2 trial complete

Cuba has alrey completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials of Soberana02 vaccine in country, which, as per IFV, triggers an immune response in 14 days. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), Finlay Vaccine Institute, established in early 1990s, is a leer in Cuban health techlogy, producing various vaccines such as tetanus vaccine vax-TET and a combination vaccine against tetanus and diphria. Earlier,  director of Finlay Institute, Doctor of Science Vicente Vérez h said that y are preparing to conduct a trial of Soberana02 vaccine abro. 

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