Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has announced encouraging preliminary results from clinical trials investigating the use of the Cuban biotechnology product Jusvinza for patients suffering from chronic post-Chikungunya arthritis. The findings were presented during a high-level meeting at the Palace of the Revolution attended by scientific experts and government officials, including Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.
The clinical studies, initiated on December 2, 2025, have demonstrated notable improvement in patients from Havana and Matanzas provinces who received Jusvinza treatment. Researchers reported that the drug exhibits a strong safety profile and early evidence of clinical effectiveness in addressing the debilitating inflammatory condition that follows Chikungunya virus infection.
Dr. Julio Esmir Baldomero Hernández, Director of Clinical Research at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), indicated that comprehensive data from the study is expected by early March 2026. The research incorporates long-term evaluations focusing particularly on treatment safety and the persistence of therapeutic benefits. The study has been conducted in strict compliance with good clinical practices, receiving endorsement from Cuba’s Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices (Cedmed) after a rigorous inspection.
According to Dr. Miguel Hernán Estévez del Toro, Director of the Hermanos Ameijeiras Surgical Clinical Hospital and a renowned Cuban rheumatologist, a significant percentage of Chikungunya patients develop chronic inflammatory arthropathy after three months of infection. The condition shares inflammatory mediators with rheumatoid arthritis, leading to similar limitations in quality of life and functional capacity when left uncontrolled.
‘Having a product capable of slowing the inflammatory progression of this disease would be tremendously beneficial,’ stated Dr. Estévez del Toro. In response to these findings, Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health has launched a national survey through its Innovation Committee, the National Group, and the Cuban Society of Rheumatology to develop consensus treatment guidelines that incorporate Jusvinza alongside rehabilitation therapies.
Dr. María del Carmen Domínguez, principal investigator of the study, emphasized that repurposing Jusvinza—originally developed for rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19—represents a significant scientific achievement. The drug demonstrates immunomodulatory capabilities even with repeated administrations over time, presenting a substantial molecular challenge that researchers have successfully addressed.
Experts at the meeting also noted a declining incidence of Chikungunya virus infections across Cuba, suggesting that the breakthrough treatment could arrive as the epidemic wave recedes.