PANACEA BIOTEC DEVELOPING DENGUE VACCINE IN INDIA

Indian drugmaker Panacea Biotec has announced its initiative to develop and manufacture a dengue vaccine for the global prevention of dengue infection, the second most widespread tropical disease after malaria, according to the company.

Dengue is carried by the Aedes mosquito and can cause fever, chills and skeletal pain. Approximately 2.5 billion people are now at risk of contracting dengue, and there may be as many as 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization.

"Panacea Biotec has made an encouraging advance in the research and development of a preventive vaccine against dengue virus," said Rajesh Jain, joint managing director of Panacea. "It would take another two to three years or so for the vaccine to get into the market, depending upon clearance from regulatory authorities. The vaccine will be effective against all the four strains of dengue virus and would cater to adults and children."