Cuba will begin new clinical trials of a drug developed by a local laboratory to treat Alzheimer's disease, according to the local Health Ministry, which confirmed that the nasally administered NeuroEpo drug has achieved promising results in the treatment of neurodigestive pathologies. 

Alzheimer's disease is one of the leading causes of death in the country, and clinical trials will begin in all provinces in the coming months. NeuroEpo will initially be administered to patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

The Cuban Health Ministry said in a statement quoted by the international press that the drug was developed by the Center for Molecular Immunology.

"In Cuba, dementia is one of the leading causes of death and is the one that requires the most attention and care in the elderly," the ministry stressed.

Among the island's 11.2 million inhabitants, there are currently 160,000 people with dementia, according to the report.

In 2015, dementia affected about 46.8 million people worldwide, a number that could increase to 65 million by 2030. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the number could increase from 3.4 million to 4.1 million by 2030, according to the document.

Cuba has a rapidly aging population, accentuated by migration, especially of young people, fleeing the worst economic crisis in 30 years.

The Cuban Statistical Yearbook indicates that more than 21% of the island's population was over 60 in 2020.