Cuban drug proves cure for diabetic foot, specialists say

More than 160,000 people suffering from diabetic foot ulcers in 26 countries have been successfully treated in the past seven years with Cuban biotech drug Heberprot-P, according to specialists.

During the 16th National Workshop for the Integral Attention to Diabetic Patients (Paipupd), taking place this week in the eastern Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba, specialists in the field highlighted the effectiveness of the drug in reducing amputations and saving lower limbs.

Addressing a workshop on Wednesday, Jorge Berlanga, inventer of the drug, said U.S. academics and medical specialists have shown interest in the treatment.

"There is a critical mass of professionals, (including) foot surgeons, who want to try the Cuban medication, because they recognize it as a potential alternative for reducing the rate of amputations that this complication of diabetes mellitus has in the United States," said Berlanga.

The executive coordinator of Paipupd, Osvaldo Re­yes, stressed the prevalence of the condition, saying each year in Cuba alone more than 18,000 new cases arise.

The one-of-a-kind drug was developed by Cuba's biotechnology industry exclusively to treat diabetic foot problems and reduce the need for amputations.

Each year, between 15 percent and 30 percent of diabetic patients with foot ulcers require amputations, often preceded by infections and gangrene.

The main active ingredient in Heberprot-P, developed at the Havana-based Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), is recombinant human growth hormone applied directly to the ulcer via injection.

The hormone promotes epidermal growth, which in turn speeds up the healing process and reduces the risk of amputation.

The drug, first applied in 2007, is considered one of the great success stories of Cuba's biotech industry. Endi