What you should know about the new EMA-approved dengue vaccine

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently approved the TAK-003 vaccine, from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda.to combat dengue which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), It affects more than 390 million people and, in turn, causes the deaths of 25,000 in just one year.

According to the WHO, dengue is a disease that can be caused by four different serotypes, so depending on which one the person contracts, symptoms can be milder or more severe, and this vaccine has the ability to attack all four, according to the Japanese company.

“Phase 2 clinical data in children and adolescents showed that TAK-003 induced immune responses against all four serotypes of dengue, in both seropositive and seronegative participants, which persisted for 48 months after vaccination, and the vaccine it was generally safe and tolerated in good condition, ”Takeda said.

Therefore, the vaccine was recommended by the EMA for the population over 4 years old, remembering that although a vaccine against this disease already exists, the Japanese pharmaceutical company’s commitment would have better coverage and could help prevent contagion. for the moment the most used would be to prevent the reproduction of mosquitoes.

“The results of the study show that the quadrivalent dengue vaccine prevents fever, serious illness and hospitalization caused by any of the four dengue virus serotypes …”explained the EMA.

“An approved vaccine already exists, but the quadrivalent dengue vaccine shows broader protection for young children and people over the age of 45. In light of this, an unmet global public health need is being addressed, “stressed the vaccine entity that had been on the market for years and was trying to tackle dengue infections internationally.

For his part, Takeda’s Global Vaccines Business Unit chairman Gary Dubin pointed out that hard work has made progress in protecting against dengue, so they estimated that the new drug would help many people.

“We have been working for many years to help improve the way we prevent dengue. Our efforts to provide a new option for dengue prevention support Takeda’s overall goal of providing long-term social value to the people we serve. “Gary Dubin said.

The decision came from EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), after the dose was shown to fight up to four types of dengue fever and, according to analyzes, the vaccine would prevent people from being hospitalized. or have complications from the disease up to 84%.

“The benefits and safety of the current vaccine were evaluated in 19 clinical trials that enrolled more than 27,000 people aged 15 months to 60 years,” EMA said in its statement on the details of the tests carried out by the Japanese pharmaceutical company.

Another advantage that the approved vaccine would have would be the prevention of dengue symptoms, even four years after the application of the dose, or a greater prolongation of antibodies against a possible infection.