Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical is set to become the first Japanese company to enter the U.S. vaccine market as it files for approval from the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for its dengue fever vaccine.
While the global vaccine market is largely dominated by American and European organizations, like Pfizer, Moderna, Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline, Takeda’s dengue vaccine has a unique advantage as it is the only one approved for children as young as four, causes minimal side effects and recognized by the World Health Organization for its effectiveness.
Takeda has already received approval to sell the dengue vaccine in various markets across Southeast Asia and Europe and is now moving to secure production sites. A report from Nikkei Asia claims that Takeda anticipates global sales of up to $2 billion annually from its vaccines alone.
According to Takeda CEO Christophe Weber, the company views vaccines as a key revenue driver alongside its existing prescription drug portfolio. Profits from the dengue vaccine will be reinvested into the development of new vaccines, further enhancing Japan’s competitiveness in the global vaccine market.
Over the past 50 years, dengue fever cases have surged 30-fold, driven by factors such as urbanization, travel, and climate change. Today, dengue is the most widespread mosquito-borne viral disease, with more than 390 million infections recorded annually. The disease affects over 100 countries, with the Americas, Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia emerging as hotbeds for outbreaks.
