Valneva links up with SII for chikungunya vaccine in Asia

French specialty vaccine company Valneva (Nasdaq: VALN) has entered into an exclusive license agreement for its single-shot chikungunya vaccine that enables supply of the vaccine in Asia with Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by number of doses.

The collaboration to support broader access to the vaccine in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) in the region falls within the framework of the $41.3 million funding agreement Valneva signed with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in July 2024 with co-funding from the European Union.

The companies will work urgently to bring the vaccine to the Indian market, and certain other Asian countries, subject to local regulatory approvals, as India is currently enduring one of its worst chikungunya outbreaks. Nearly 370,000 cases were confirmed in India between January 2019 and July 2024, a number rapidly increasing due to the current outbreak.