The renowned pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur has committed to develop vaccine for Zika virus infection after World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency on the possibility of explosive spread of the infection across America.
There is no treatment or vaccination developed against Zika virus by far. The French-based pharmaceutical company is the first of its kind to develop the first ever licensed vaccine shot for Dengue last year in Brazil, according to The Charlotte Observer. The Dengue vaccine was developed by Sanofi Pasteur after years of rigorous efforts and it might take over three years or more for the company to come up with a potent vaccine against Zika virus infection.
The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The infection that is similar to Dengue is reported to cause severe birth defects in children if pregnant woman contract the virus.
Dr Nicholas Jackson from Sanofi Pasteur noted that the company will use their experience acquired from vaccines developed against yellow fever, dengue and Japanese encephalitis. He also added that the company needs to speed up the process in order to develop a vaccine for the disease in three to five years at the least.
"It's very difficult to predict a reliable timeline ... given that we're learning so much about the disease and what we need to do," said Jackson, reported TVNZ. "Collaboration is absolutely essential to understand this frightening disease," he added while talking about the discussion the company had with the Brazilian authorities and WHO.
It is also reported that the clinical trials for the Zika virus vaccine would be much different from the traditional one since it involves child-bearing woman, whom the company would never put at risk for any trial.
The vaccine would allegedly be provided for all people while greater importance would be given to adolescent girls that haven't started involving in sexual relationships. Vaccinating the adolescent girls will help preventing them from giving birth to defective babies.
Meanwhile the first known case of Zika virus in the United States, reported in Texas, is alleged to have contracted the infection through sexual contact and not from a mosquito bite.
"Case details are being evaluated, but the possibility of sexual transmission from an infected person to a non-infected person is likely in this case," noted The Texas Department of State Health Services in a statement following a detailed assessment of the case, reported Yahoo News.
The report came just hours after WHO declared emergency after the particular Zika Virus case which was isolated in Texas. However, the WHO's declaration on the issue has lead Sanofi Pasteur involve full-fledged in developing vaccine against Zika virus, which is undoubtedly a threat for the society.
Join the Conversation