Hyderabad: Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Friday said it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to promote and distribute the Japanese giant’s dengue vaccine, QDENGA, in India’s private paediatric and adult vaccination market.The vaccine, approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization in July 2026, is India’s first approved dengue vaccine and is indicated for people aged 4-60. Subject to completion of local regulatory processes, the vaccine is expected to be available in the Indian market in the first half of 2027.While Dr Reddy’s will be the exclusive private-market partner, Takeda will retain the rights for the public market, legal ownership and overall medical and brand oversight.Also, even as Takeda will contribute global dengue and vaccine expertise, including medical, regulatory and brand strategy, Dr Reddy’s will use its healthcare network and commercial reach in India.The two companies said the partnership will cover healthcare-professional engagement, disease awareness, promotion and distribution across the private market under applicable rules.MV Ramana, CEO of global generics at Dr Reddy’s, said: “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.”Mahender Nayak, head of intercontinental markets at Takeda, said the collaboration would support timely access to dengue vaccination for eligible individuals through the private market. “We welcome the recent parliamentary committee on health’s recommendation to consider dengue vaccine for the universal immunization programme that reflects the growing recognition of dengue as a significant public health challenge,” he added.Dr Reddy’s said dengue remains a major public-health challenge in India, with reported cases rising 11-fold over two decades and cited an Indian Council of Medical Research surveillance study that found all four dengue virus serotypes — DENV-1 to DENV-4 — circulating across multiple regions, with one in 14 patients infected with multiple serotypes concurrently.
