Takeda's Phase III Dengue Vaccine Results Bring Them "One Step Closer" to Stopping Tropical Disease

Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that its vaccine for dengue fever hit its primary efficacy endpoint in its Phase III clinical trial. Dengue fever affects as many as 400 million people annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is caused by one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms usually start four to seven days after the mosquito bite and usually last three to 10 days. About 2.5 billion people, 40 percent of the world’s population, live where there is a risk of dengue transmission. About 20,000 people die each year from the disease.
Primary symptoms of dengue are high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild blooding, usually from the nose or gums. At its worst, the capillaries start to leak, which allows the fluid in blood into the peritoneum and pleural cavity, which can lead to circulatory system failure and shock, followed by death. TAK-003 is a tetravalent dengue vaccine based on a live-attenuated dengue serotype 2 virus. In Phase I and II trials, children and adolescents given the vaccine showed an immune response against all four dengue serotypes. It was found to be safe and well tolerated.