The Comandante Faustino Pérez Provincial Clinical Surgical Hospital has started a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to treat residual polyarthritis in chikungunya survivors. The study assesses the medication's ability to reduce ongoing pain and joint inflammation. It involves 120 patients and aims to provide an affordable treatment option.
On Monday, the Comandante Faustino Pérez Provincial Clinical Surgical Hospital launched a clinical trial with Jusvinza, a drug developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), to address residual polyarthritis, one of the most disabling aftereffects of chikungunya.
Led by Dr. Yudisay Reyes Pelier, an oncology specialist and member of the CIGB Clinical Research Group, the research aims to assess Jusvinza's effectiveness in alleviating chronic joint pain and inflammation that lingers in many patients months after the acute viral phase.
Reports indicate the trial involves 120 patients aged 19 to 80, all with confirmed chikungunya diagnoses and joint symptoms lasting over three months. Participants are split into two groups of 60: an intervention group receiving Jusvinza alongside standard treatment, and a control group continuing with conventional therapy alone.
Jusvinza treatment, scientifically known as peptide CIGB-258, involves nine subcutaneous doses over six weeks, given on an outpatient or inpatient basis depending on the patient's condition and residence.
The drug holds emergency health registration in Cuba for severe Covid-19 cases, where it has shown the ability to modulate excessive inflammatory responses causing lung damage. Dr. Eulogio Pimentel Vázquez, CIGB director, recently noted that the drug "has proven to be safe" and was developed to provide therapeutic options for chronic inflammatory conditions at a much lower production cost than international alternatives.
This trial aligns with Cuba's health system strategy to tackle long-term chikungunya sequelae, which, following its epidemic outbreak, has left many patients with persistent arthralgia impairing their quality of life and work capacity. Researchers anticipate over 70% improvement in clinical outcomes, potentially establishing Jusvinza as an accessible treatment for a condition lacking effective specific therapies.
The study highlights the Faustino Pérez Hospital's role as a key clinical research center and Cuba's scientific prowess in devising homegrown solutions to population health challenges.