India to Launch First Approved Dengue Vaccine Qdenga in 2027

Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets, Takeda, M. V. Ramana, CEO, Global Generics of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and others at a programme. Photo: Special Arrangement Takeda’s dengue vaccine Qdenga is expected to be available in India in the first half of 2027. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company announced on Friday (September 18, 2026) the signing of a distribution agreement under which Dr Reddy’s will promote and distribute the vaccine across India’s private market for pediatric and adult vaccination. “Subject to the completion of applicable processes with local authorities, the vaccine is anticipated to become available in the first half of 2027,” the companies stated.Qdenga is India’s first approved dengue vaccine, and in July 2026, it received marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for individuals aged 4-60 years.While inclusion in India’s public immunisation programme remains an important long-term ambition, private market availability through Dr Reddy’s will provide a pathway for eligible individuals to access the vaccine once it becomes available, Takeda said.Also Read: Explained | Why is a viable dengue vaccine not yet availableThrough the collaboration, Takeda and Dr Reddy’s will support healthcare-professional engagement, disease awareness, promotion and distribution of Qdenga across India’s private market for pediatric and adult vaccination, in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.“Our private-market collaboration with Dr Reddy’s will help enable timely private-market access for eligible individuals once Qdenga becomes available in India,” said Dr Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets, International Business Unit Takeda.He welcomed the Parliamentary Committee on Health’s recommendation to consider a dengue vaccine for the Universal Immunisation Programme since it reflects the growing recognition of dengue as a significant public health challenge.“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,” said M.V. Ramana, CEO, Global Generics at Dr Reddy’s.Dr. Reddy’s will be the exclusive partner for the promotion and distribution of the vaccine in the private market for paediatric and adult vaccination. Takeda retains the rights to promote and distribute Qdenga in India’s public market. In addition, Takeda retains legal ownership as well as overall medical and brand oversight rights of Qdenga in the country.Qdenga (TAK-003) is a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine, built on a DENV-2 backbone with structural proteins from DENV-1, DENV-3, and DENV-4, enabling broad immune coverage across all four dengue serotypes. It is administered as a two-dose regimen, given three months apart.Dengue remains a significant and evolving public-health challenge in India, with reported cases increasing 11-fold over the past two decades. As per a nationwide dengue surveillance study conducted by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research, all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) are co-circulating across multiple regions in India, with 1 in 14 patients being infected with multiple dengue serotypes concurrently, the companies said in a joint release. Published - September 18, 2026 05:07 pm IST