Takeda facilitates broader access to its dengue vaccine through varying mechanisms

Dengue is a major global health threat, causing an estimated 390 million infections and 40,500 deaths annually. Over the past 50 years, its incidence has also increased 30-fold, with a growing number of countries reporting their first outbreaks. This proliferation has been driven by factors such as the spread of Aedes mosquito vectors, rapid urbanisation and population growth.¹ 

After clean running water, vaccination is the most effective public health intervention for preventing dengue. However, the need for dengue vaccination far exceeds current vaccine availability.¹ This need is underscored by estimates indicating that more than half of the world's population is at risk of contracting the virus. Continued climate change is also expected to widen the geographic range of dengue, exposing regions beyond the Americas, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific to endemic transmission.² 

How Takeda supports access to its vaccine 

In response to this mounting demand, Takeda is using a range of mechanisms to promote access to its dengue vaccine (QDENGA®) in countries where dengue is prevalent. As one of only two licensed dengue vaccines, QDENGA® is a vital tool for protecting populations at risk of infection, making such efforts to expand access especially crucial. The following section outlines the mechanisms Takeda is utilising to support the availability of this product. 

• Supranational agreement: Since 2024, Takeda has participated in the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Revolving Fund, which enables participating countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to procure QDENGA® at a single regional price via pooled procurement. By combining demand across countries, PAHO’s model supports more affordable and reliable procurement while prioritising public-sector supply and strengthening a broader regional public-health response. The model also benefits Takeda by providing more predictable demand, enabling better production planning and increasing procurement volumes that can help offset lower prices. It also reduces the need for multiple country-level negotiations and associated administrative and logistics costs, while facilitating faster and more efficient market entry across the region.  Four countries have been supplied via PAHO so far, while negotiations are currently ongoing to further expand accessibility in eligible countries. 

• Direct country supply: Takeda directly supplies QDENGA® to national governments through country-specific procurement agreements, allowing for vaccines to be integrated into national immunisation programmes where governments choose to adopt them. Brazil is a key example, where QDENGA® has been included in the National Immunization Program for children aged 10–14 years since 2023. To support implementation, Takeda supplied more than 6 million doses to the programme in 2024 alone and complemented public-sector procurement with healthcare professional education and public awareness initiatives to promote vaccine uptake. Building on previous arrangements, a new 2026-2027 agreement has been negotiated for 18 million doses to be supplied to the country. 

• Technology transfer and manufacturing partnership: Takeda has a partnership with Biological E. Limited in India to manufacture up to 50 million doses of QDENGA® annually for use in national immunisation programmes in dengue-endemic countries. This expands manufacturing capacity to help meet growing demand, strengthen supply security and support broader and more sustainable access to the vaccine. 

Through these complementary mechanisms, Takeda supplied QDENGA® in 29 countries globally as of 2025, with 95% of doses supplied to low- and middle-income countries.³ This case illustrates how utilising multiple access pathways can help effectively expand access to high-priority health products. With its multifaceted strategy, Takeda has addressed different access challenges across markets and supported broader, more sustainable availability of QDENGA® in some of the countries with the greatest need. 

This is also a long-term initiative with plans for further expansion. Takeda reports that it is engaging with additional supranational procurement agencies and global health stakeholders, reflecting the company's continued focus on improving vaccine availability. 

Lessons for other companies 

Takeda's work to expand access to QDENGA® illustrates several broader lessons for companies seeking to expand access to high-priority products. Rather than relying on a single mechanism, companies should develop holistic access strategies that combine multiple complementary mechanisms to address affordability, availability and supply barriers. These can include using supranational procurement to improve affordability and expand geographic reach, adapting procurement arrangements to country contexts to align with local health systems and financing mechanisms, and partnering with local manufacturers to strengthen supply resilience and support long-term sustainability.