Phl dengue vaccine available few years from now

MANILA, Philippines - A health expert from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) announced yesterday that a vaccine for dengue could be available a few years from now.

Maria Rosario Capeding, Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist of the RITM, said clinical trials aimed at coming up with an appropriate anti-dengue vaccine are now ongoing.

“Clinical trials intended for dengue have been ongoing in San Pablo City and Cebu. This is simultaneous with the tests being conducted in other Asian and Latin American countries,” she said.

Developed by France-based Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the anti-dengue vaccine is currently being tested simultaneously in countries endemic for dengue.

Capeding added the target of the vaccine is to address the four types of dengue viruses that cause dengue fever.

According to the Philippine Pediatric Society, dengue is one of the leading causes of childhood hospitalizations.

From 1950s to the early 1990s, dengue infection was primarily seen among children below 10 years old. However, in recent years, older children and young adults were also affected.

Capeding noted everyone is at risk of getting sick with dengue.

“Immunity will only develop against the particular type of dengue the person was infected with and there is a possibility of contracting dengue for a second, third or fourth time. Even worse, people who get infected again may likely develop the severe form of dengue,” she explained.

The key in addressing dengue and reducing death rate is through early detection, prompt fluid therapy and immediate referral to tertiary care center if needed, Capeding said.

“Amidst the rising dengue cases in the country is the comforting news that the death rate from dengue disease has reduced significantly compared a decade ago,” Edwin Rodriguez of PPS Public Relations and Engagement System Services said.

Meanwhile, Capeding warned mothers on the use of tawa-tawa herb to cure dengue.

“When some say platelet count improves after using tawa-tawa leaves, it could just be pure coincidence,” she said, noting that scientists and health experts have not yet confirmed its alleged positive effects.

3 virus strains

On Wednesday, Sanofi reported that the dengue vaccine has also shown the ability to protect against disease caused by three of four virus strains in a keenly awaited clinical trial in Thailand.

The results also confirmed the safety profile of the vaccine candidate.

Other drug companies are also working on dengue vaccines but Sanofi’s product is several years ahead.

The vaccine generated an antibody response for all four dengue virus types, but evidence of protection was only demonstrated against three of the four strains circulating in Thailand.

Sanofi said researchers were carrying out analyses to understand the lack of protection for the fourth serotype.

“It’s a surprise,” company spokesman Pascal Barollier said. “We need to get to the bottom of the data to find out why it is reacting this way and wait for ongoing Phase III trials to see if it is linked to some specific situation in Thailand.”

The Phase IIb study involving 4,002 Thai children aged four to 11 years was conducted during a dengue epidemic, which might be an explanation for the unexpected outcome.

Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Clark said the lack of protection against the fourth virus type meant a commercial launch was more likely in 2015 than in 2014, as Sanofi awaits Phase III data rather than filing early in some countries.