Zydus Cadila to partner Takeda Pharmaceutical to develop and commercialise vaccine against chikungunya

Zydus Cadila group company Cadila Healthcare Ltd, today announced it would partner with Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd to develop and commercialise a vaccine against chikungunya.

The agreement covers early-stage development to the final commercialisation of the vaccine.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

''We have always been committed to working with partners and collaborating to bring affordable therapies and bridge unmet healthcare needs,'' said Pankaj R Patel, chairman and managing director of Zydus group.

''By partnering with Takeda on this very important research and development initiative and leveraging our development capabilities, we will be taking an all important step to prevent the disease burden which is highly prevalent in developing countries and causes suffering and disability,'' Patel added.

Currently there is no vaccine or medicine to prevent and treat chikungunya virus infection, which is passed on by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Chikungunya has been identified in over 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

Since 2005, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and Thailand reported more than 1.9 million cases of chickungunya.

''There is currently no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection," Zydus Cadila's group firm Cadila Healthcare said in a BSE filing.

Zydus Group chairman and MD Pankaj R Patel said, "By partnering with Takeda on this very important research and development initiative and leveraging our development capabilities, we will be taking an all important step to prevent the disease burden," DNA India reported.

Cadila Healthcare said the partnership was expected to boost access to medicines in the future through the novel partnership.

''This is another demonstration of Takeda's major commitment to the health of children in developing countries and elsewhere around the world," Takeda Vaccines chief operating officer Rahul Singhvi said.