Takeda’s dengue vaccine receives EU approval

The dengue vaccine from the Japanese laboratory Takeda was approved for use in the European Union this Thursday (8), becoming the second immunizer authorized against the disease transmitted by mosquitoes that causes millions of infections annually in the world.

The vaccine, branded Qdenga, is designed for use in people aged four years and older to prevent any of the four so-called dengue serotypes.

There are no antivirals or specific treatments for the viral illness. Although dengue fever is mild in most cases, some people can develop life-threatening complications. Between 20,000 and 25 people, mostly children, die each year from dengue, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Qdenga follows Sanofi’s Dengvaxia, which was the world’s first dengue vaccine and which secured its first approval in 2015.

Use of the French laboratory’s vaccine has been considerably reduced after the company revealed in 2017 that it increased the risk of serious illness in “seronegative” children — those who had no previous exposure to dengue when they received the vaccine.

Takeda’s vaccine is based on a dengue virus type 2, with DNA from the other three serotypes added. Data from a clinical trial showed that the vaccine can induce immune responses to varying degrees against all four types of dengue.

Compared to Dengvaxia, Takeda’s vaccine shows broader protection for young children and people over 45, EU health regulators said in October when they recommended authorizing Qdenga.

Takeda’s vaccine has also been approved in Indonesia, while US regulators are reviewing it with priority.

Takeda expects its vaccine to generate $700 million to $1.6 billion in sales over several years, Gary Dubin, president of Takeda’s global vaccine business, told Reuters earlier this year.