Abstract This MEDICC Review roundtable brings you specialists from Havana’s Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK), who are working directly with testing, research and patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded in 1937 by its namesake, the Institute has gained considerable worldwide prestige. Today, it is a PAHO–WHO Collaborating Center for the Study of Dengue and Its Vector, and for the Elimination of Tuberculosis. Its main role within Cuba’s health system is as the national reference center for prevention, control, management and elimination of infectious diseases, including epidemics. Its 479 workers staff 32 departments, including laboratories, research and teaching facilities, a hospital and isolation center. The IPK's hospital treats later-stage AIDS patients, while the Institute is the national reference center for attention to all HIV-positive patients and maintains the national HIV/AIDS registry, as well as registries for other infectious diseases. The institution was responsible for training the Cuban doctors who served in West Africa during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreaks and for those going abroad to assist in the COVID-19 response today, and its professionals offer an internationally-recognized biennial course on dengue.

Abstract This MEDICC Review roundtable gathers some of Cuba’s top researchers in the fields of vaccines and biotechnology, all of whom work in institutions belonging to BioCubaFarma, the umbrella company of Cuban biotech and pharmaceutical R&D, production, distribution and export. Founded in 2012, the company is comprised of 34 enterprises with 61 lines of production and some 20,000 employees. A total of 765 of its products are registered in 53 countries and exported to another 50. Its scientists’ research has resulted in 2640 patents in Cuba and globally.

International requirements for publishing medical and biomedical information are becoming more stringent. The original scope of Good Publication Practice is evolving, including not only ethics and style aspects but also transparency and reliability of scientific information at present. New requirements for medical publications are being structured in recommendations and guidelines compiled by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research group, whereas guidelines for publishing experimental research in biomedical sciences are compiled by the Minimum Information for Biological and Biomedical Investigation organization. For the provision of required information, the basic research laboratories and the clinical research groups working under the principles of Good Practice are significantly better prepared than those which have not yet adopted this work discipline. A research work may be performed with shortage of resources; however, regardless of the amount of resources, the experiment should comply with quality criteria. These new requirements are expected to increase the quality of medical and biomedical research. Authors and editors of national medical journals should be aware of this evolution in publishing standards, so that they could take actions that have a positive effect on the rigor, visibility and impact of the published articles.

Los estándares internacionales para la publicación de información médica y biomédica se vuelven más exigentes. El concepto de Buenas Prácticas de Publicación se está ampliando más allá de los aspectos éticos y de estilo, para incluir aspectos relacionados con la transparencia y la confiabilidad de los resultados. Muchos nuevos requerimientos en el campo médico están recogidos en recomendaciones o guías compiladas por el grupo "Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research", mientras que las guías sobre aspectos experimentales de publicaciones biomédicas están recogidas por el grupo denominado "Minimum Information for Biological and Biomedical Investigation". Para suministrar la información requerida, los laboratorios de investigación básica y los grupos de ensayos clínicos que trabajan bajo los principios de prácticas de calidad, están en notable ventaja con respecto a aquellos que aún no han adoptado esta disciplina de trabajo. Una investigación puede ser realizada con recursos limitados. Pero, cualquiera que sean los recursos utilizados, la experimentación debe cumplir con criterios de calidad. Al requerir esta información, las nuevas exigencias para la aceptación de artículos están contribuyendo a la elevación de la calidad de la investigación médica y biomédica. En la medida en que los autores y los editores de las revistas médicas nacionales se mantengan informados sobre estas tendencias, podrán concretar acciones que repercutan positivamente en el rigor, la visibilidad y el impacto de los artículos publicados.

International requirements for publishing medical and biomedical information are becoming more stringent. The original scope of Good Publication Practice is evolving, including not only ethics and style aspects but also transparency and reliability of scientific information at present. New requirements for medical publications are being structured in recommendations and guidelines compiled by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research group, whereas guidelines for publishing experimental research in biomedical sciences are compiled by the Minimum Information for Biological and Biomedical Investigation organization. For the provision of required information, the basic research laboratories and the clinical research groups working under the principles of Good Practice are significantly better prepared than those which have not yet adopted this work discipline. A research work may be performed with shortage of resources; however, regardless of the amount of resources, the experiment should comply with quality criteria. These new requirements are expected to increase the quality of medical and biomedical research. Authors and editors of national medical journals should be aware of this evolution in publishing standards, so that they could take actions that have a positive effect on the rigor, visibility and impact of the published articles.

Los estándares internacionales para la publicación de información médica y biomédica se vuelven más exigentes. El concepto de Buenas Prácticas de Publicación se está ampliando más allá de los aspectos éticos y de estilo, para incluir aspectos relacionados con la transparencia y la confiabilidad de los resultados. Muchos nuevos requerimientos en el campo médico están recogidos en recomendaciones o guías compiladas por el grupo "Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research", mientras que las guías sobre aspectos experimentales de publicaciones biomédicas están recogidas por el grupo denominado "Minimum Information for Biological and Biomedical Investigation". Para suministrar la información requerida, los laboratorios de investigación básica y los grupos de ensayos clínicos que trabajan bajo los principios de prácticas de calidad, están en notable ventaja con respecto a aquellos que aún no han adoptado esta disciplina de trabajo. Una investigación puede ser realizada con recursos limitados. Pero, cualquiera que sean los recursos utilizados, la experimentación debe cumplir con criterios de calidad. Al requerir esta información, las nuevas exigencias para la aceptación de artículos están contribuyendo a la elevación de la calidad de la investigación médica y biomédica. En la medida en que los autores y los editores de las revistas médicas nacionales se mantengan informados sobre estas tendencias, podrán concretar acciones que repercutan positivamente en el rigor, la visibilidad y el impacto de los artículos publicados.