Posted Oct 18, 2022 8:25 AM
The first dengue vaccine is called QDenga and it is Japanese. Takeda, the largest Japanese pharmaceutical laboratory, received Friday a favorable opinion from the European Medicines Agency for the marketing in Europe of its vaccine once morest this endemic disease in Asia, Latin America and the West Indies. 3 to 4 billion people are exposed to it.
It comes at the right time because dengue fever, being transmitted by a type of mosquito living in an urban environment, is progressing with global urbanization and has spread to continental Europe, including France (and the United States). The European Commission generally following the advice of its health agency, Takeda hopes that it will authorize the marketing of its vaccine, intended for adults and children from 4 years old, by the end of 2022.
Complex focus
390 million people are infected with dengue each year, of which 500,000 are hospitalized. It normally causes only fever and joint pain (or no symptoms), but in 1 in 20 cases its form is severe, bleeding and potentially fatal. “Dengue fever is the second most common cause of fever in travelers returning to Europe from endemic areas,” Takeda points out.
A vaccine once morest dengue fever is complex to develop because four types of this virus co-exist. Sanofi launched one in 2015 (Dengvaxia), but it has proven to be dangerous for those who have never had dengue fever (it then aggravates the disease if they catch it!), leading Philippines to ban it following child deaths . Il has been authorized in Europe since 2018 but strictly reserved for premises in endemic areas who have already been infected, to prevent them from severe forms, which are more frequent during a second infection.
Takeda’s QDenga can be used by everyone, whether or not they have already been infected. The World Health Organization, scalded by Dengvaxia, recommends 3 to 5 years of hindsight on the effects of vaccination. Takeda shows its credentials with tests on 28,000 children and adults and their 4.5 years following vaccination. The tests show an effectiveness of 84% once morest hospitalization and 61% once morest symptomatic forms of the disease, whether the vaccinated have already had it or not.
Indonesia was the first country to endorse QDenga in August…and the only one so far. A green light in Europe is crucial to overcome mistrust of Dengvaxia and Takeda anticipates questions, stressing in a statement that its vaccine is “generally well tolerated, with no signs of worsening disease”.