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Economic Times
13-07-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Phase-3 clinical trial enrolment for India's first dengue vaccine to be completed by October: ICMR
Synopsis India's DengiAll vaccine trial is nearing completion. ICMR scientists anticipate enrolling 10,500 participants by October across 20 Indian centers. The phase III trial assesses the Panacea Biotec's one-shot dengue vaccine. Initial trials showed no safety concerns. Participants will be monitored for two years to evaluate efficacy. This is a crucial step as India currently lacks a licensed dengue vaccine. Agencies Representational image Enrolment of about 10,500 participants in the phase III clinical trial of the indigenous one-shot Panacea Biotec developed dengue vaccine, DengiAll, is likely to be completed by October across 20 centres in India, according to ICMR far, 8,000 participants in various centres at Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bhubaneswar among others have received either the vaccine or a placebo as part of the trial sponsored by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Panacea Biotec. The trial is co-led by ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology and AIDS research in Pune, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai and National Institute of Virology, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine against dengue in results of the Phase-1/2 trial has shown no safety concerns for the one-shot vaccine, NIE Director Dr Manoj Murhekar said. "The participants enrolled in the Phase- III trial will be followed up for two-years. This trial will evaluate the efficacy of this tetravalent dengue vaccine," Dr Murhekar multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase-III trial was launched in August last year to evaluate the jab's efficacy, safety and, long-term immunogenicity. The first participant in this trial was vaccinated at the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak last year. The development of an effective vaccine is complex due to the need to achieve good efficacy for all four serotypes. The dengue virus has four serotypes, 1-4, with low cross-protection against each other, meaning individuals can experience repeated infections, Dr Murhekar said. In India, all four serotypes of dengue virus are known to circulate or co-circulate in many regions. The Union Health Ministry in a statement earlier had said that the tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005), originally developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, has shown promising results in clinical trials in Brazil. Panacea Biotec, one of three Indian companies to receive the strain, is at the most advanced stage of development. The company has worked extensively on these strains to develop a full-fledged vaccine formulation and holds a process patent for this work. Dengue is a major public health concern in India, ranking among the top 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease. The global incidence of dengue has been steadily increasing over the past two decades, with more than 129 countries reporting dengue viral disease by the end of 2023, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).In India, approximately 75-80 per cent of infections are asymptomatic, yet these individuals can still transmit the infection through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Among the 20-25 per cent of cases where symptoms are clinically apparent, children are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality. In adults, the disease can escalate into severe conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. According to the government data, around 12,043 dengue cases were reported till March this year. In 2024, 2.3 lakh cases and 297 deaths had been recorded.


Time of India
13-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Phase-3 clinical trial enrolment for India's first dengue vaccine to be completed by October: ICMR
Enrolment of about 10,500 participants in the phase III clinical trial of the indigenous one-shot Panacea Biotec developed dengue vaccine, DengiAll, is likely to be completed by October across 20 centres in India, according to ICMR scientists. So far, 8,000 participants in various centres at Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bhubaneswar among others have received either the vaccine or a placebo as part of the trial sponsored by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Panacea Biotec. The trial is co-led by ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology and AIDS research in Pune, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai and National Institute of Virology, Pune. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Currently, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine against dengue in India. The results of the Phase-1/2 trial has shown no safety concerns for the one-shot vaccine, NIE Director Dr Manoj Murhekar said. Live Events "The participants enrolled in the Phase- III trial will be followed up for two-years. This trial will evaluate the efficacy of this tetravalent dengue vaccine," Dr Murhekar said. The multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase-III trial was launched in August last year to evaluate the jab's efficacy, safety and, long-term immunogenicity. The first participant in this trial was vaccinated at the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak last year. The development of an effective vaccine is complex due to the need to achieve good efficacy for all four serotypes. The dengue virus has four serotypes, 1-4, with low cross-protection against each other, meaning individuals can experience repeated infections, Dr Murhekar said. In India, all four serotypes of dengue virus are known to circulate or co-circulate in many regions. The Union Health Ministry in a statement earlier had said that the tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005), originally developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, has shown promising results in clinical trials in Brazil. Panacea Biotec, one of three Indian companies to receive the strain, is at the most advanced stage of development. The company has worked extensively on these strains to develop a full-fledged vaccine formulation and holds a process patent for this work. Dengue is a major public health concern in India, ranking among the top 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease. The global incidence of dengue has been steadily increasing over the past two decades, with more than 129 countries reporting dengue viral disease by the end of 2023, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In India, approximately 75-80 per cent of infections are asymptomatic, yet these individuals can still transmit the infection through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Among the 20-25 per cent of cases where symptoms are clinically apparent, children are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality. In adults, the disease can escalate into severe conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. According to the government data, around 12,043 dengue cases were reported till March this year. In 2024, 2.3 lakh cases and 297 deaths had been recorded.
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Business Standard
13-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
India's dengue vaccine Phase-3 trial enrolment to be completed by Oct: ICMR
Enrolment of about 10,500 participants in the phase III clinical trial of the indigenous one-shot Panacea Biotec developed dengue vaccine, DengiAll, is likely to be completed by October across 20 centres in India, according to ICMR scientists. So far, 8,000 participants in various centres at Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bhubaneswar among others have received either the vaccine or a placebo as part of the trial sponsored by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Panacea Biotec. The trial is co-led by ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology and AIDS research in Pune, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai and National Institute of Virology, Pune. Currently, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine against dengue in India. The results of the Phase-1/2 trial has shown no safety concerns for the one-shot vaccine, NIE Director Dr Manoj Murhekar said. "The participants enrolled in the Phase- III trial will be followed up for two-years. This trial will evaluate the efficacy of this tetravalent dengue vaccine," Dr Murhekar said. The multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase-III trial was launched in August last year to evaluate the jab's efficacy, safety and, long-term immunogenicity. The first participant in this trial was vaccinated at the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak last year. The development of an effective vaccine is complex due to the need to achieve good efficacy for all four serotypes. The dengue virus has four serotypes, 1-4, with low cross-protection against each other, meaning individuals can experience repeated infections, Dr Murhekar said. In India, all four serotypes of dengue virus are known to circulate or co-circulate in many regions. The Union Health Ministry in a statement earlier had said that the tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005), originally developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, has shown promising results in clinical trials in Brazil. Panacea Biotec, one of three Indian companies to receive the strain, is at the most advanced stage of development. The company has worked extensively on these strains to develop a full-fledged vaccine formulation and holds a process patent for this work. Dengue is a major public health concern in India, ranking among the top 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease. The global incidence of dengue has been steadily increasing over the past two decades, with more than 129 countries reporting dengue viral disease by the end of 2023, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In India, approximately 75-80 per cent of infections are asymptomatic, yet these individuals can still transmit the infection through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Among the 20-25 per cent of cases where symptoms are clinically apparent, children are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality. In adults, the disease can escalate into severe conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. According to the government data, around 12,043 dengue cases were reported till March this year. In 2024, 2.3 lakh cases and 297 deaths had been recorded.


The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Enrolment in third phase clinical trials for India's first dengue vaccine nearly complete, says ICMR
Following an announcement by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Panacea Biotec Limited to initiate third phase trials, about 8,000 of the targeted 10,000 participants have enrolled in the third phase of clinical trials for a dengue vaccine in India, Manoj Murhekar, Director, National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, Chennai, told The Hindu. The trial will be rolled out at 20 centres across the country, Dr. Murhekar said. 'In India, all four serotypes of the dengue virus are known to circulate or co-circulate in many regions, so it's vital to ensure that we have an effective vaccine that achieves good efficacy for all four serotypes,'' he added. The trial is primarily funded by ICMR, with partial support from Panacea Biotec. Participants will be followed up for two years under projects spread across various centres, including Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Delhi. There is currently no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine for dengue in India. 'This landmark trial will evaluate the efficacy of India's indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll, developed by Panacea Biotec. The first participant in this trial was vaccinated last year at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak,'' a release issued by the Union Health Ministry said. The tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005) originally developed by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S., has shown promising results in preclinical and clinical trials worldwide. Panacea Biotec, one of three Indian companies to receive the strain, is at the most advanced stage of developing a vaccine. The company has worked extensively on these strains to develop a full-fledged vaccine formulation and holds a process patent for this work. The first and second phases of the clinical trials of Indian vaccine formulations were completed in 2018-19, yielding promising results. Dengue is a major public health concern in India, which ranks among the top 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease. The global incidence of dengue has been steadily increasing over the past two decades, with more than 129 countries reporting dengue viral disease by the end of 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In India, approximately 75-80% of infections are asymptomatic, yet these individuals can still transmit the infection through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Among the 20-25% of cases where symptoms are clinically apparent, children are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality. In adults, the disease can escalate into severe conditions, including the dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The dengue virus has four serotypes, 1-4, with low cross-protection against each other, which means individuals can experience repeated infections.


Hans India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Anti-rabies vax available in 4/5 public health facilities
New Delhi: Nearly four-fifths of the public health facilities in India have anti-rabies vaccine -- crucial to achieve the goal of rabies elimination by 2030 --, revealed a new study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Ensuring accessible and affordable post-exposure prophylaxis is a crucial strategy to eliminate rabies. The new study, published in the journal 'The Lancet' Regional Health - Southeast Asia, is based on a nationwide survey of health facilities to understand the availability of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin. 'We found that nearly four-fifths of the public health facilities had anti-rabies vaccine,' said corresponding author Dr. Manoj Murhekar, Director of the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE). According to data from the ICMR, India has recorded a 75 per cent reduction in rabies-related deaths. Yet, India is one of the leading countries in the world for rabies fatalities as the infection claims about 5,700 lives every year. Around 9 million animal bite cases are also reported annually. The cross-sectional study across 60 districts in 15 Indian states also found considerable geographic and facility-level variations in the availability of the medications. Of the 534 health facilities surveyed, 467 (87.5 per cent) were public sector health facilities. Anti-rabies vaccine was available in 372 public sector health facilities, ranging from 60.0 per cent to 93.2 per cent in different geographic regions. The availability of anti-rabies vaccine was lowest in urban primary healthcare centres (UPHCs), while rabies immunoglobulin was available in 95 public sector health facilities, with the highest availability in southern states. The availability of rabies immunoglobulin ranged from 1.8 per cent in UPHCs to 69.2 per cent in medical college hospitals. 'The availability (of anti-rabies vaccine) was lowest in the north-east region and highest in the southern states. Two-third of the public facilities providing anti-rabies vaccine followed had adopted the dose saving intradermal regimen as recommended by the National Rabies Control Programme, while the remaining were still following the older intra-muscular regimen,' Murhekar said. 'Rabies immunoglobulin was available only in one-fifth of public health facilities. Nearly two-third of the medical college hospitals had rabies immunoglobulin available, but the availability was notably low in the public primary care facilities,' he added. The researchers noted that the non-availability of anti-rabies vaccine in the health facility on the day of the visit could lead to bite victims returning home without receiving the jab, which can undermine the efforts toward the goal of rabies elimination. The findings called for bridging the gap in the availability of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin to achieve the goal of zero-dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, Murhekar said.