Dengue Vaccine Candidates Show Positive Results

There may be another vaccine that protects people from the Dengue virus. And, this new vaccine might offer protection for multiple Dengue serotypes. 

This is important news since the Dengue virus has been ranked as one of the top emerging diseases around the world. 

And there is concern that the current epidemiological data may be under-reporting the impact of dengue.   

Current estimates report nearly 100 million symptomatic and 300 million asymptomatic dengue infections annually. 

This study reported a single dose of the vaccine candidate was 100 percent efficacious against challenge with DENV-2 administered 6 months after vaccination in a controlled human infection model (CHIM).   

This study’s preliminary data shows that Takeda’s TV003 vaccine candidate may be able to protect people against all 4 serotypes of the dengue virus.

Additionally, Takeda is developing a live, attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine, TAK-003, and presented data on its most recent analysis at ASTMH in October.

The TAK-003 vaccine candidate includes live attenuated strains of each of the four dengue serotypes; the modified DENV-2 strain was dosed at 10 times the level for the other three in order to maximize protection against the corresponding wild-type serotype. 

The study found antibody titers checked after dosing showed rates of seroconversion against all 4 serotypes reaching or approaching 100% for the vaccinated participants who were seropositive at baseline. 

For those initially seronegative, conversion rates were lower but still reached at least 70%. 

Also, in a challenge study involving the actively vaccinated adolescent and adult participants, only 4% showed viremia. 

The safety and efficacy of TAK-003 are currently being evaluated in a double-blinded phase III controlled study being conducted in eight dengue-endemic countries in Latin America and Asia.

TV003 is currently in Phase 3 clinical trial enrolling 17,000 participants in Brazil. 

These researchers did not disclose any conflicts of interest. 

Dengue virus news:

• Dengue Outbreak Reported in Senegal
• Thailand Confronted with Dengue and Measles Outbreaks
• Honduras is a Central American Hot-Spot for Dengue & Mumps

Recently, on October 31, 2018, the first vaccine against the dengue virus, Dengvaxia, was granted by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a Priority Review status. 

Sanofi Pasteur's dengue vaccine candidate is considered an unmet medical need by the FDA. 

The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of May 1, 2019, for Dengvaxia.