May 31, 2023: The drug- makers of India move closer to being able to develop the country’s first vaccine against Dengue. Continue reading to learn more about Dengue and the vaccine. A ReferencePepper!
Drug producers Serum Institute of India and Panacea Biotec have submitted applications to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) call for 'Expression of Interest’ (formal document prepared by a buyer for a seller, demonstrating the former’s willingness, ability, and a price range for purchasing the latter’s business, asset, or security) for cooperative Phase-III clinical trials for native manufacturers, bringing them one step closer to being able to develop the nation's first dengue vaccine.
But let’s talk about Dengue first
Dengue is an illness that is caused by a virus, which means it's a tiny living thing that can make you sick. Almost half of the world’s population, about 4 billion people, live in areas with a risk of dengue.
Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae.aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. You know those insects that fly around and bite you? Well, there are certain kinds of mosquitoes, called Aedes mosquitoes, that can carry the Dengue virus. When they bite a person who has Dengue, they can become infected with the virus. Then, if they bite another person, they can pass on the virus and make that person sick too.
Picture source: wikipedia
When a person gets infected with Dengue, they may start feeling unwell after a few days. Some of the common signs of Dengue are having a high fever, a bad headache, feeling very tired, having pain in the muscles and joints, and getting a rash on the skin. It's important to know that not everyone who gets Dengue will have all of these symptoms, but these are some of the things you might notice.
Picture source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov
To stay safe from Dengue, there are a few things you can do - First, try to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. You can do this by wearing long sleeves and pants, especially if you're going to be outside when mosquitoes are most active, which is during the day. You can also use mosquito repellent on your skin to keep them away. Another important thing is to get rid of any standing water around your house, like in buckets or flower pots, because mosquitoes lay their eggs in water and that's where they grow.
If someone you know has Dengue, it's important to take care of them and help them feel better. They might need to rest a lot, drink plenty of fluids like water or juice, and take medicine to reduce the fever and pain. It's also important to go see a doctor if you think you or someone else might have Dengue, so they can give you the right treatment and advice.
Remember, Dengue is something we can prevent and treat, so by knowing about it and taking the necessary precautions, we can stay safe and healthy.
According to the ICMR, dengue virus infections cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In India, 2-2.5 lakh cases of infection are reported annually.
The global incidence of dengue fever has increased dramatically, and about half of the world's population is now at risk. There are an estimated 10-40 crore infections each year, but more than 80% are generally mild and asymptomatic1. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified dengue fever as one of the top 10 global health threats in 2019. There is currently no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue. "Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an effective vaccine against dengue virus disease," said ICMR.
Asymptomatic1 : sometimes people can be sick but not show any signs or symptoms. This is called being "asymptomatic." It's like having a secret sickness inside your body that you don't even know about because you feel perfectly fine. Even though you don't feel sick, it's important to be careful and take precautions to keep others safe.
In the meantime, Dr. Nivedita Gupta, Head of Virology at the ICMR, gave details about the two potential vaccines. She said that the vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India has started half of its studies in children, and the vaccine developed by Panacea will conduct a Phase-III randomised , double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (a type of clinical trial in which neither the participants nor the researcher knows which treatment or intervention participants are receiving until the clinical trial is over. This makes results of the study less likely to be biased) in 10,335 healthy adults (aged 18 to 80) at 20 sites.
She added that the Phase- III convention has been approved by Drugs Controller General of India (January 2023).
According to the ICMR, a dengue vaccine should have an acceptable short- and long-term safety profile (no antibody dependent enhancement), protect against all four dengue serotypes, reduce the risk of severe diseases and deaths, and induce a sustained immune response and effectiveness regardless of the individual's age or earlier sero-status (the state of either having or not having detectable antibodies against a specific antigen, as measured by a blood test).