Takeda (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK) TAK-003, a new dengue vaccine, has obtained WHO prequalification. WHO has also recommended TAK-003 for children aged six to 16 in regions that are at risk of the mosquito-borne viral disease dengue and its transmission.
TAK-003, a live-attenuated vaccine, includes weakened forms of all four serotypes of the dengue virus and is only the second vaccine of its kind to be awarded this status by WHO. CYD-TDV, by Sanofi Pasteur, previously received WHO prequalification.
Administered in a two-dose regimen with an interval of three months between doses, TAK-003 helps prevent symptomatic dengue.
In 2023, the WHO region of the Americas reported 4.5 million cases of dengue with 2,300 deaths.
“The prequalification of TAK-003 is an important step in the expansion of global access to dengue vaccines, as it is now eligible for procurement by UN agencies including UNICEF and PAHO,” Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, Director, Regulation and Prequalification of WHO, said in a statement.
“With only two dengue vaccines to date prequalified, we look forward to more vaccine developers coming forward for assessment so that we can ensure vaccines reach all communities who need it,” he added.
Takeda, a global R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, aims to improve patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment discovery and delivery in gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience, and vaccines. The company’s global vaccine business focuses on infectious diseases such as dengue, COVID-19, and pandemic influenza.
‘Takeda’s dengue vaccine obtains WHO prequalification’ was originally reported by GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Technology.
