Heberprot-P, a Cuban biomedicine for treating diabetic foot, was awarded the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Award for Best Young Inventor and a WIPO Gold Medal at the International Inventions Fair earlier this month.

Administered locally into chronic wounds, Heberprot-P reduces the risk of amputation in diabetic foot ulcer patients, as it accelerates healing with human recombinant epithermal growth factor(hr-EGF).

Since the 1990s, ongoing research and clinical trials have been performed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana, Cuba.

Heberprot-P is already used to treat over 20,000 patients in Cuba and other nations. It is patented in 15 other countries, including the USA, China and Australia, and is in clinical trials for use in others.

To read more about the International Inventions Fair, click here.

Image: Syringe. Credit: Daniel Paquet on Flickr.