First dengue vaccine approved in Europe

Following the October recommendation by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to approve use of the dengue vaccine in European endemic areas, the European Commission has now granted marketing authorization for Dengvaxia (dengue tetravalent vaccine [live, attenuated]), from French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN).

Today, there is no specific treatment available for dengue.Dengvaxia will be available in Europe to prevent dengue disease in individuals 9-45 years of age with a documented prior dengue infection and who are living in endemic areas.

"In some of the European overseas territories where dengue recurs regularly, people who have had a dengue infection previously are at risk of being infected with the virus again," explains Dr Su-Peing Ng, global medical head at Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine unit of Sanofi, adding: "As the second infection with dengue tends to be more severe than the first, it is important to be able to offer these people a vaccine that could help protect them against subsequent dengue infections."