Economy, Biotechnology

After the U.S. embargo shut down medical supplies, Castro invested $150 million in the construction of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center. This state-of-the-art research lab has invented anticholesterol drugs, detection tests for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a meningitis vaccine, remedies for hepatitis B, and other pharmaceuticals. Industrial manufacture of these medicines had exceeded domestic demand and is earmarked for export. However, the quality of these products has not met international standards, and pharmaceuticals will require foreign investments to make their export profitable.