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News: TAK-003 dengue vaccine received clearance from Subject Expert Committee under Drugs Controller General of India for individuals aged 4 to 60 years.
About TAK-003 Dengue Vaccine
- TAK-003 (commonly known as ‘Qdenga‘) is a tetravalent dengue vaccine designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4.
- Developed by: The vaccine is developed by Takeda.
- Mechanism: It is a live-attenuated vaccine containing weakened versions of dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4, and it uses the DENV-2 strain as the genomic backbone.
- Dose: The vaccine is administered as a two-dose series, with both doses given three months apart.
- Eligibility: It has received clearance for use among individuals aged 4 to 60 years in India.
- WHO Recommendation: As per WHO guidance, TAK-003 (Qdenga) is recommended for children aged 6 to 16 years in settings with high dengue transmission, and it is administered as a two-dose series with a three-month interval.
- Strong protection: The vaccine provides strong protection against severe dengue and hospitalisation, reducing pressure on healthcare systems.
- Nature of protection: It reduces severity of illness rather than completely preventing infection, so dengue transmission may continue.
- Limitation: It shows lower effectiveness against DENV-3 and DENV-4, especially in individuals without prior infection.
- India-specific Context: All four serotypes co-circulate in India, with DENV-2 accounting for about 48–66% cases and DENV-3 contributing around 20–30%, indicating evolving epidemiology.
About India’s Dengue Vaccine Pipeline
- Indigenous candidate: ‘DengiAll’ is being developed by Panacea Biotec in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- Clinical stage: It is currently undergoing large phase III clinical trials, indicating advanced evaluation status.
- Scientific basis: The vaccine is based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) TV003 platform and is designed as a single-dose vaccine for balanced protection across all four serotypes.
- Future potential: If successful, it may be available around 2027 and could offer broader protection and better suitability for large-scale public health deployment.
