Dive Brief:
- Sanofi’s dengue vaccine, which is currently in phase III trials, is the first to show efficacy against dengue fever.
- Each year, 500,000 people are hospitalized due to dengue fever, which threatens half the population of the world. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 100 million dengue infections per year.
- Phase III results of the dengue vaccine developed by Sanofi show overall efficacy of 56.5% against symptomatic dengue and 88.5% reduction of dengue hemorrhagic fever in children age 2 to 14.
Dive Insight:
Sanofi has been collaborating with other members of the scientific community for more than 20 years to develop a vaccine against the dengue virus.
The results of a phase III trial, which were recently published in The Lancet, were based on a three-dose vaccination schedule, but members of the scientific community, including Dr. Annalies Wilder-Smith from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, noted that the efficacy after one dose was almost as high as efficacy after completion of the three-dose regimen.
The implications for poor nations and impoverished vaccine recipients are significant. Dr. Wilder-Smith noted that although 56% does not seem high, it is considering the fact that there are no other options. “The phase III trial may signify the dawn of a new era in dengue control,” she said.