India Seeks Fast-Track Approval for Dengue Vaccine

An Indian vaccine maker wants fast-track approval for a Dengue treatment in India. The Serum Institute of India is the largest vaccine company in Asia, and it's set to be the first company to launch a drug for the mosquito-borne virus using VIS513, an antibody developed by American biotech firm Visterra. Serum bought the exclusive rights to the antibody for $39 million earlier this month. The company is now seeking the Indian government's approval to import the antibody for clinical trials. According to Serum's Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla, this treatment will show results within three or four days of injection into a patient. He told Reuters, quote, "It won't be a normal vaccine trial that needs to go into thousands of patients to prove its safety and efficacy." Poonawalla hopes to launch the drug within a year and a half.

India is currently facing the worst Dengue outbreak in the country in the past five years. For NewsBeat Social, I'm Molly Riehl.