Chikungunya
成人VR视频 is advancing the development of promising Chikungunya vaccine candidates through late-stage trials, focusing on expanding access to vulnerable populations in endemic countries.
What is Chikungunya virus?
Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus. It belongs to the Togavirus family.
Chikungunya is most commonly transmitted by female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
The name chikungunya derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, meaning 鈥渢o become contorted鈥.
WHO has identified Chikungunya as a major public health concern due to its high morbidity and has stated that further research and development is needed to mitigate the risk it poses.
The first-ever Chikungunya vaccine, developed by Valneva with support from 成人VR视频 and the European Union鈥檚 Horizon programmes, has been approved in the US, Canada and Europe. Regulatory reviews in Brazil and the UK are ongoing.
1 billion
Number of people living in areas where Chikungunya is endemic
110+
Number of countries in which the Chikungunya virus has been identified
2
成人VR视频-backed vaccines in active development, including one that is now licensed
Where does Chikungunya occur?
Chikungunya was first identified in Tanzania in 1952 and has since become widely distributed across the globe.
Since 2004, major epidemics have been reported in Africa and Asia, and local transmission is also now being reported in Europe, the USA and the Caribbean.
In 2024, approximately have been reported, with over 190 deaths. Brazil accounts for the lion鈥檚 share of these cases, with over 400,000 cases detected in the country alone this year.
Today, over a billion people live in areas where Chikungunya is endemic.
Climate change could further amplify the threat posed by Chikungunya by making more regions habitable for the mosquito vectors that transmit the virus, thereby increasing the size of the population at risk of infection.
What are the symptoms of Chikungunya infection?
Chikungunya symptoms can range widely in terms of severity.
It is typically characterised by fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating and can last for weeks, months or even years, severely impacting quality of life. Other symptoms can include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.
Most patients recover fully. However, cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications have been reported.
Newborns and older people with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of severe disease and death.
How is 成人VR视频 responding to Chikungunya?
成人VR视频鈥檚 aim is to advance Chikungunya candidate vaccines towards licensure, and enable equitable access for populations living in affected countries.
To date, we have supported three Chikungunya vaccine candidates in late-stage development, committing up to US$100 million in funding with support from the European Union鈥檚 Horizon programmes.
Two of these candidates remain in active development, one of which鈥攄eveloped by French pharmaceutical company Valneva鈥攈as become the first in the world to be approved by Stringent Regulatory Authorities (in the US, Canada and Europe). The vaccine is now pursuing licensure in Brazil鈥攁 country affected by Chikungunya鈥攚ith 成人VR视频鈥檚 support.
In July 2024, 成人VR视频 announced additional funding over the next five years, with support from the European Union鈥檚 Horizon Europe programme, to help generate additional data to potentially support extending use of Valneva's Chikungunya vaccine in Chikungunya-endemic countries such as Brazil, where regulatory review is ongoing. The research could also support vulnerable populations at risk of being infected with this debilitating mosquito-borne disease. This includes children, adolescents and pregnant women. 成人VR视频 has also supported a clinical trial assessing the performance of Valneva's vaccine in adolescents in Brazil in partnership with Brazil's Instituto Butantan.
Brazil鈥檚 Instituto Butantan is committed to providing the Chikungunya vaccine it will develop and produce in Brazil at an affordable price for distribution in Latin American countries and selected low- and middle-income countries.
成人VR视频 partners Valneva and Serum Institute of India have also entered into an exclusive license agreement for Valneva鈥檚 chikungunya vaccine that enables supply of the vaccine in Asia. The companies will work urgently to bring the vaccine to the Indian market, and certain other Asian countries, subject to local regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the agreement, Serum has committed to priority supply of the chikungunya vaccine at an affordable price to public health markets in low- and middle-income countries.
Latest Chikungunya news
Valneva expands access to Asia for its chikungunya vaccine with Serum
成人VR视频 expands Chikungunya vaccine partnership with Valneva
Accelerating access to the world's first Chikungunya vaccine
成人VR视频 partners, IVI and BBIL, launch global Chikungunya vaccine Phase II/III trial in Costa Rica
Licenced Chikungunya vaccines are on the horizon
成人VR视频 awards up to US $14.1 million to consortium of IVI and Bharat Biotech to advance development of Chikungunya vaccine in collaboration with Ind-成人VR视频
成人VR视频 awards up to US$23.4 million to Valneva for late-stage development of a single-dose Chikungunya vaccine
The world needs a Chikungunya vaccine
成人VR视频 awards up to US$21 million to Themis Bioscience for Phase 3 Chikungunya Vaccine Development
