Dr Reddy’s signs India distribution deal for Takeda’s Qdenga dengue vaccine, shares rise over 2%

New business data points to the fact that Dr Reddy's Laboratories stated on September 18 it had signed an agreement with Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical to promote and distribute the Qdenga dengue vaccine in India. Consequently, the pharma firm's shares were top Nifty gainer on September 18 by rising over 2%.

The deal comes months after India's drug regulator approved Qdenga for use in both children and adults, making it the first dengue vaccine cleared for the country.

Dr Reddy's stated the vaccine is anticipated to be available in India in the first half of 2027.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is among the world's fastest-growing vector-borne diseases. The World Health Organization noted a record 14.4 million dengue cases and 11,201 deaths globally in 2024, including 232,425 cases and 233 deaths in India.

Qdenga is administered in two 0.5 ml doses, given three months apart, and can be used irrespective of prior dengue infection, removing the need for pre-vaccination screening.

M.V. Ramana, CEO – Global Generics, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories stated, “As the second-largest vaccine player in India, we believe the introduction of India’s first approved dengue vaccine is an important development for the country’s healthcare landscape. Through our collaboration with Takeda, we look forward to making QDENGA available to eligible individuals and contributing to efforts aimed at addressing the country’s dengue burden.”

Dr. Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets, International Business Unit Takeda stated, “Takeda is committed to supporting India’s evolving healthcare needs and expanding access to dengue vaccination. We welcome the recent Parliamentary Committee on Health’s recommendation to consider dengue vaccine for the Universal Immunization Program.3 This reflects the growing recognition of dengue as a significant public health challenge. In parallel, our private-mark et collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s will help enable timely private-market access for eligible individuals once QDENGA becomes available in India.”