After 17 years of research, India’s homegrown dengue vaccine reaches final trials

After 17 years of research, India’s first indigenous dengue vaccine, DengiAll, is capturing global attention as it reaches the final stages of development. The Phase‑III human trials of the vaccine, developed by Delhi‑based Panacea Biotec with support from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), are now complete or close to completion across multiple sites in the country.

Dr Syed Khalid Ali, Chief Scientific Officer at Panacea Biotec, says DengiAll comes at a crucial time. “DengiAll has been in the making for over 15 years, and it comes at a time when half the world’s population is at risk of dengue,” he told The Print.

A long road to a new hope

The Phase‑III trial, which began enrolling participants in August 2024, has involved more than 10,000 volunteers at nearly 20 sites across India. Participants are being followed closely to see how well the vaccine works against dengue, which can range from mild flu‑like illness to life‑threatening complications.

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DengiAll is designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes in a single shot. It is a notable achievement, given how complex dengue’s four distinct strains are to tackle in one vaccine. In earlier Phase‑I and Phase‑II trials, the vaccine showed protection levels between 77–82 per cent against all four serotypes.

What comes next

Now comes the crucial part: convincing regulators of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

If the interim analysis from the Phase‑III trial, which may be possible once enough confirmed dengue cases occur among participants, is positive, Panacea Biotec could begin seeking approval even before the full two‑year follow‑up period ends.

“At a time when dengue cases and deaths mount every year, every day we delay, we’re denying them their life,” Khalid told The Print.

If approved, DengiAll could transform dengue prevention not just in India but in other tropical regions where the disease is a major public health threat.