India Set to carry out phase 3 clinical trials for vaccine against dengue

Pharmaceutical businesses and vaccine manufacturers who have created promising dengue vaccine candidates and successfully completed phases 1 and 2.

About Dengue:

• Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes species (Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito).
• These mosquitoes also transmit chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika viruses.
• The virus that causes dengue is known as dengue virus (DENV). DENV has four serotypes, and infection can occur up to four times.
• Diagnosis and Treatment:
  • Dengue infection is diagnosed with a blood test.
  • There is no particular medication for dengue infection.
• Status of Dengue:
  • According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of dengue fever has increased rapidly worldwide in recent decades, with the great majority of cases being unreported.
  • The World Health Organization predicts 39 crore dengue virus infections each year, with 9.6 crore exhibiting symptoms.
  • According to the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), India had over 1 lakh dengue cases in 2018 and more than 1.5 lakh cases in 2019.
    • The NVBDCP is the primary nodal agency for the prevention and control of six vector-borne diseases. Malaria, Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar, Japanese Encephalitis, and Chikungunya occur in India. It reports to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Controlling Dengue Using Bacteria:
  • Recently, researchers from the World Mosquito Program employed mosquitos infected with Wolbachia bacteria to successfully suppress dengue in Indonesia.
  • The scientists infected some mosquitoes with Wolbachia and then released them into the city, where they reproduced with indigenous mosquitoes, eventually infecting practically all insects in the region. This is known as the Population Replacement Strategy.
  • At the end of 27 months, the researchers found that the incidence of dengue was 77% lower in areas where Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes had been released, as compared to areas without such deployments.

About the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is India's highest body for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research, and it is one of the world's oldest.
• It was founded in 1911 and was known as the Indian Research Fund Association. In 1949, the IRFA was renamed ICMR.
• It is administered by the Department of Health Services (DHS), which is part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research's headquarters are in New Delhi.
• It is not a legislative or regulatory entity.
• The Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) is hosted by the ICMR. It was created on July 20, 2007.
  • It is a free online public record system for registering clinical trials being undertaken in India.
  • Until June 15, 2009, the clinical trial register was a voluntary measure; thereafter, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) made trial registration at CTRI mandatory.
  • Importance: It stimulates the registration of clinical trials prior to the enrollment of the first participant.
  • The ICMR has always strived to balance the expanding demands of scientific discoveries in biomedical research with the need to find practical answers to the country's health concerns.