Chikungunya vaccine, Vimkunya, receives FDA nod
Copenhagen based, Bavarian Nordic, announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VIMKUNYA™ (Chikungunya Vaccine, Recombinant) for injection, the first virus-like particle (VLP) single-dose chikungunya vaccine in the U.S. for persons 12 years of age and older.
The FDA approved VIMKUNYA under Priority Review, based on results from two phase 3 clinical trials which enrolled more than 3,500 healthy individuals 12 years of age and older. The studies met their primary endpoints, with results showing that 21 days after vaccination, the vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies in up to 97.8% of the vaccinated individuals and demonstrated a rapid immune response starting to develop within one week. The vaccine was well-tolerated and vaccine-related adverse events were mainly mild or moderate in nature. VIMKUNYA is a VLP vaccine, which means that it uses virus-like particles designed to mimic the chikungunya virus without the ability to infect cells, replicate or cause disease.
“The approval of our chikungunya vaccine is a testament to our unwavering commitment to addressing unmet medical needs and protecting communities worldwide,” said Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic. “As climate change continues to expand the reach of mosquito-borne illnesses like chikungunya, this milestone underscores the importance of cutting-edge solutions to safeguard travelers and vulnerable populations. We are proud to provide the first vaccine specifically approved for the prevention of chikungunya virus in individuals aged 12 and over, offering a critical tool to combat this emerging and growing health challenge.”
Concurrent with the approval, the FDA awarded Bavarian Nordic a Priority Review Voucher (PRV) under the Tropical Disease PRV program, which the Company intends to monetize when appropriate.
Bavarian Nordic aims to provide commercial availability of VIMKUNYA in the U.S. in the first half 2025.
Chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, approved in the UK
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In the past 20 years, the virus has emerged across several regions in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including many popular travel destinations, often causing large unpredictable outbreaks. Since its discovery, CHIKV has been identified in more than 110 countries, with evidence of transmission confirmed in more than 50 countries over the past five years. Chikungunya typically presents with acute symptoms, including fever, rash, fatigue, headache, and often severe and incapacitating joint pain. Most patients recover, but 30-40% of those affected may develop chronic symptoms that can last for months or even years. In 2024, 620,000 cases of chikungunya and over 200 deaths were reported worldwide.