AICA Laboratories resumes production of some medications in Cuba

 HAVANA, Cuba, May 15 (ACN) AICA Laboratories, which belongs to the BioCubaFarma business group and is responsible for the supply of 190 medicines of the national basic drug list, resumed in recent months a group of high-demand products, such as dental analgesics, Thiopental and serums, widely used in public health institutions.

Antonio Vallin Garcia, general director of the entity, told Granma newspaper that such reactivation has been partly thanks to the investment process of around 7 million dollars undertaken in the basic business unit (UEB by its Spanish acronym) Liorad.

This plant, currently AICA's most modern, had been completely stopped in October 2020, due to the aging of its infrastructure.

Since the restart, a month ago, of operations at Liorad, and with the arrival of the primary packaging materials and raw materials, the manufacture of some dental anesthetics, whose affectation has been one of the main problems in the Stomatology rooms, was resumed.

According to the text, dental anesthetic carpules (a tool for the application of anesthetic or local sedative drugs) were being packaged in 2 % Lidocaine 1:80,000, while 2 % Lidocaine 1:50,000 and Mepivacaine will be manufactured in the near future.

Some productions of lyophilized liquids were resumed, such as Thiopental, an anesthetic widely used in the country's operating rooms, which is now in the manufacturing process and must continue with productive continuity, said Vallin Garcia.

Having recently reopened this UEB, the General Director of AICA emphasized that its production capacity has been doubled, especially for bulbs and lyophilized liquids, with a complete recapitalization of both its critical systems and its fundamental equipment.

According to the specialist, this new bulb capacity gives greater consistency and quality to Liorad's production, and will even allow it, in the future, not only to supply the basic table, but also to start exporting.

The Sera and Hemodialysis Plant of UEB Sueros y Hemoderivados, also of Laboratorios AICA, also resumed production, after seven months paralyzed due to the lack of sealing caps.


Once the lids needed to seal the bags were imported, thanks to an agreement with a Chinese company that collaborates with the Cuban industry, 2 million serums have been manufactured and distributed gradually, assured the specialist.

From the production plant, Iris Mariela Fernandez, head of the Technical-Productive Department of Sera and Hemodialysis, specified that at the moment they are packing batches of 5% Dextrose and Hemodialysis, while on the filling side they are working with the bags of Sterile Water.