Pasteur Institute develops new chikungunya vaccine with EU funds

The Pasteur Institute in France announced Monday the commencement of a four-year international project dedicated to creating a new chikungunya vaccine that will be accessible to endemic populations, primarily in Africa. The initiative, dubbed ACT‑CHIK, has secured €15.3 million in European Union funding to propel the clinical development of MV‑CHIK, a vaccine candidate based on the measles virus and initially designed at the Paris-based institute.

While chikungunya vaccines have recently become available, their use has largely been restricted to travelers. The core objective of this project is to ensure accessibility for people living in endemic regions, addressing the critical issue of inequitable access to vaccination. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, causing debilitating symptoms such as high fever, severe joint pain that can persist for months or years, headaches, skin rashes, and fatigue.

The project aims to mitigate the chikungunya crisis in Africa, a disease that has also severely impacted Latin America over the past decade, with Brazil leading the affected countries, alongside Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Brazil's Fiocruz is among the seven partner institutions and will be responsible for preparing materials for clinical trials.

According to the Pasteur Institute, the program will facilitate a large-scale Phase Ib/III clinical trial in four African nations: Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. This trial will involve 940 participants, including both adults and children aged 5 to 11. The initiative also includes preparing for technology transfer to an African vaccine manufacturer. Ultimately, this effort supports the African Union's goal of producing 60% of its vaccines locally by 2040.

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The €15.3 million in European funds for ACT‑CHIK will boost the clinical development of MV‑CHIK, a chikungunya vaccine based on the measles virus and initially designed at the Pasteur Institute.