India’s first dengue vaccine to enter market in 2027; Dr Reddy’s, Takeda join hands

India's first dengue vaccine, QDENGA, is set to enter the market in the first half of 2027 under an exclusive partnership between Takeda and Dr Reddy's Laboratories. The agreement will facilitate private-market distribution and awareness ahead of the commercial rollout

Hyderabad: In a landmark development for public health in India, the country’s first dengue vaccine is set to enter the market by the first half of 2027, following the announcement of a collaboration between vaccine developer Takeda and Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories on Friday.

Under the exclusive distribution and marketing agreement, Dr. Reddy’s will leverage its nationwide distribution infrastructure and healthcare network to promote QDENGA, the dengue vaccine, in the country.

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The vaccine, which received marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in July 2026 for individuals aged 4 to 60 years, is a live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine designed to protect against all four dengue serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) without requiring prior pre-vaccination screening.

While Takeda will retain overall brand ownership, medical oversight and commercialisation rights for the public sector, the partnership with Dr. Reddy’s aims to establish an immediate pathway to private-market access.

The milestone of a dengue vaccine in the country comes as health experts grapple with an 11-fold surge in reported dengue cases over the past two decades and the widespread co-circulation of multiple viral strains, with data indicating that one in 14 patients experience concurrent infections from multiple serotypes.

Both companies intend to drive physician engagement and disease awareness ahead of the official commercial rollout in early 2027. The private-market framework complements broader government discussions, including recommendations from the Parliamentary Committee on Health, to evaluate the vaccine for potential future inclusion in the Universal Immunization Programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets, International Business Unit, Takeda, said, “Our collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s will help enable timely private-market access for eligible individuals once QDENGA becomes available in India.”

M.V. Ramana, CEO – Global Generics, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, said, “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.”