Sanofi joins IVI dengue fever partnership
French drugmaker’s dengue fever vaccine in late-stage clinical trial
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of French pharmaceutical group sanofi-aventis, is to work with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), in Seoul, Korea, to support the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI), which aims to raise awareness of dengue fever vaccination.
The mosquito-borne disease affects an estimated 220 million people annually – particularly children – who develop a severe form of the disease called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).
There is currently no specific treatment for dengue fever but Sanofi Pasteur’s vaccine is in the final stage of clinical development, having entered its first Phase III clinical study in Australia last November.
‘With a dengue vaccine on the short term horizon, this collaboration will focus on accelerating its adoption and introduction and on making it accessible to those at highest risk,’ said Dr Ragnar Norrby, chairman of IVI’s board of trustees.
The IVI announced the launch of the DVI earlier this month, in collaboration with the Washington-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore and the World Health Organization.
‘The first dengue vaccine is now in the final stages of development,’ said Olivier Charmeil, senior vice president, sanofi-aventis. ‘The IVI will be a key player in facilitating discussions among policy makers, with the objective of ensuring that once licensed the vaccine will be made available to those populations.’
The IVI conducts research in 30 countries in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America on vaccines against diarrhoeal infections, bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue fever, and develops new and improved vaccines, delivery routes and adjuvants.
