Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel presented preliminary positive results from clinical trials of the biotechnological drug Jusvinza in patients with chronic post-chikungunya arthritis. The studies, started in December 2025, show notable improvements in provinces like Havana and Matanzas. Experts highlight the drug's safety profile and potential to slow inflammation.
On Monday, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, shared partial advances from clinical trials with Jusvinza during a meeting at the Palace of the Revolution, also attended by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz. "Here are the results," Díaz-Canel said, referring to achievements in patients in post-acute and chronic stages affected by the chikungunya virus.
The immunological and clinical studies began on December 2, 2025, hypothesizing that Jusvinza could improve chronic post-chikungunya arthritis. In groups from Havana and Matanzas provinces, notable improvements were observed, with evident responses to the product from early stages. Expert voices emphasized the study's rigor and adequate safety profile, describing it as "country results."
Dr. Julio Esmir Baldomero Hernández, director of Clinical Research at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), stated that a report with solid data would be available by early March, including long-term assessments of safety and therapeutic effect persistence. The study complies with good clinical practices, endorsed by the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices (Cedmed), which inspected 24 days after the start.
Dr. Miguel Hernán Estévez del Toro, director of the Hermanos Ameijeiras Surgical Clinical Hospital and a rheumatologist, explained that chikungunya can progress to chronic inflammatory arthropathy in some patients, with inflammatory mediators similar to those in rheumatoid arthritis. "In other words, having a drug capable of slowing the inflammatory progression of the disease will be very beneficial," he affirmed. Following instructions from the Ministry of Public Health, a national survey was launched with the Cuban Society of Rheumatology to consensus treatment guidelines, integrating rehabilitation where Jusvinza will play a key role.
Jusvinza, a Cuban biotechnological drug that controls hyperinflammation and regulates the immune response, is already approved for rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19, and is being repositioned for chikungunya. Dr. María del Carmen Domínguez, the principal investigator, described the repositioning as a "very difficult scientific exercise." In this preliminary phase, a good safety profile is confirmed, along with immunomodulatory capacity, contributing to clinical improvement, though treatment is not yet complete. Additionally, the incidence of the chikungunya virus is tending to decrease in the country.