Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi-Aventis Group, announced on Saturday positive development in anti-dengue vaccine research for the global prevention of dengue fever. Dengue has taken the humanity with the deadly virus globally.
It is one of the most widespread tropical diseases. Sanofi Pasteur will present the research result at the 56th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, a spokesman of the company said.
These results have prompted Pasteur to immediately expand ongoing clinical trials in Asia and Latin America. Pasteur is likely to submit the research report to health authorities for registration in 2012. "Sanofi Pasteur has conducted research on the lifesaving anti-dengue vaccine on a priority basis by investing in the most promising technology and involving leading scientists," said Wayne Pisano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi Pasteur.
"Sanofi Pasteur aims at preventing dengue fever through a vaccine- as quickly as possible making it available to people living in endemic countries or travelling to tropical destinations", he said.
Immunisation with Pasteur's tetravalent dengue candidate vaccine has generated a seroneutralizing antibody that response against all four stereotypes of the virus responsible for dengue fever in 100 percent of adults who participated in the experiment in the United States.
"Developing a dengue vaccine has been a major challenge for over a decade, and we are very pleased with the breakthrough that Pasteur has achieved," said the MD and Director of the Paediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative (PDVI), Harold Margolis. "We believe, the vaccine will soon be available to people badlt in need of anti-dengue medication." he added. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease affecting up to 100 million people each year and resulting in 24,000 death.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate, the disease is a potential threat to half the world's population specially children, Dengue outbreaks recently have been observed in Paraguay and the Middle East. In addition, dengue affects countries such as Australia (Queensland) and the United States (Puerto Rico, Texas-Mexico border, Hawaii and the US-affiliated Pacific Islands).
A substantial number of people travelling to endemic regions is also infected each year. Sanofi Pasteur's vaccine is based on a new technology incorporating the protein envelopes that provide immunity against the four virus types responsible for dengue fever and the most severe forms of the disease-dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.