Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced last week that its Dengue vaccine (known as TAK-003) has produced good results in protecting against the illness and preventing hospitalization. The results hadn’t been affected by a person’s previous Dengue exposure or history and there have been no important safety risks detected in over three years after of studies after vaccination.
When Dengue epidemics occur, the sudden outbreaks can overwhelm healthcare facilities with severe cases and people seeking testing. The promising results of the long-term analysis of the TAK 003 vaccine suggest that it could safely help with outbreak prevention, reduce hospitalization and protect people from dengue regardless of previous exposure. The results also reinforce the potential of TAK-003 helping protect those who are living in or traveling to dengue-endemic countries.
The trial is taking place at sites in dengue-endemic areas in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua) and Asia (Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka).
The ongoing trials of Takeda’s TAK-003 Dengue vaccine has so far shown an 83.6% success rate in preventing hospitalization and 62.0% of Dengue protection overall.
Dengue is the fastest-spreading mosquito-borne viral disease with an estimated 390 million cases and 500,000 hospitalizations per year globally, with limited options for prevention. In 2019, Dengue was in the World Health Organizations top 10 threats to global health.
Dengue is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It is caused by any of four dengue virus serotypes, each of which can cause dengue fever or severe dengue. Recovery from infection by one serotype provides lifelong immunity against only that serotype, and later exposure to any of the remaining serotypes is associated with an increased risk of severe disease.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a global, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments. Click in this link for their full press release.
