Cuba-US relations: Cancer centre and software firm reach agreements with Cuban partners

Agreements were reached in first US business trip to Cuba since relations have improved

(Getty Images)

A US cancer research centre and a software company have reached deals with Cuban firms after a two-day trade visit, the first such trip since President Barack Obama revealed in December that he wanted to improve relations with Cuba.

The Roswell Cancer Centre, based in Buffalo, New York, reached a deal with the Cuban Centre for Molecular Technology to develop a lung cancer vaccine, according to the Associated Press.

“This agreement establishes a collaboration between our two institutions to develop a cancer vaccine in lung cancer,” she said of the vaccine developed by scientists at the Cuban center. “We're very excited to take this to the United States to treat patients.”

New York City software company Infor Global Solutions also made a deal with a Cuban partner on the trade mission led by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Also on the trip were executives from JetBlue, Pfizer and MasterCard.

Governor Cuomo said the trade visit was to help New York companies be “first out of the gate” to make business deals under warming US-Cuban relations.

With the first trade visit being successful, it likely will encourage more firms to try for similar deals as relations figure to continue improving.

Since President Obama announced his intentions to improve relations with Cuba after more than 50 years without diplomacy, he has met with Cuban President Raul Castro, who also indicated he wanted to re-establish diplomatic ties.

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