New Delhi: Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has signed an agreement with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to promote and distribute QDENGA, India’s first approved dengue vaccine, in the country’s private market. The vaccine is expected to become available in India in the first half of 2027, subject to completion of the required regulatory and local processes.
Under the agreement, Dr Reddy’s will handle the promotion and distribution of QDENGA in the private market for people aged 4 to 60 years. Takeda will retain rights for the public market and continue to oversee the vaccine’s medical and brand activities in India.
The agreement marks a new step towards making dengue vaccination available to eligible people in India. However, it does not mean that QDENGA has been added to the country’s national immunisation programme.
India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation granted marketing authorisation for QDENGA in July 2026. The approval covers people aged 4 to 60 years and made QDENGA the first dengue vaccine approved in India for the prevention of dengue disease.
QDENGA is a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine developed by Takeda. It is designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes.
The vaccine is given in two doses of 0.5 ml, with the second dose administered three months after the first. QDENGA can be given without pre vaccination screening to determine whether a person has previously had dengue.
The Indian approval followed a scientific review by the country’s drug regulator of the vaccine’s quality, safety and efficacy. The review included clinical evidence from several countries as well as data from a Phase 3 study involving people in India aged 4 to 60 years.
Dengue is a mosquito borne viral disease transmitted mainly by Aedes mosquitoes. It can cause high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain and other symptoms. In some patients, dengue can develop into severe disease and become life threatening.
The disease remains a major public health concern in India and many other countries. The World Health Organization reported a record global dengue burden in 2024, with about 14.4 million reported cases and 11,201 deaths worldwide. India reported 232,425 dengue cases and 233 deaths that year.
The 2024 figures provide background to the vaccine agreement but do not represent India’s dengue situation in 2026. Dengue continues to be monitored by health authorities across the country.
WHO has previously recommended QDENGA for children aged 6 to 16 years in settings where dengue transmission is highly intense. The organisation’s public health recommendations are separate from India’s regulatory approval, which covers people aged 4 to 60 years.
QDENGA has also received WHO prequalification, supporting its use in eligible vaccination programmes in countries that meet the relevant public health requirements.
The companies have not announced a specific launch date for QDENGA in India. Availability is expected in the first half of 2027, subject to completion of the required processes.
The agreement between Takeda and Dr Reddy’s is focused on the private market, while any wider use through India’s public immunisation system would require separate policy and government decisions.