Zika Vaccine Race Spurred By Crisis and Profit Potential
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
The race to find protection against the Zika virus is fueled by something often missing from tropical disease research: the potential for big profit.
The prospect of a blockbuster vaccine against a mosquito-borne virus has accelerated the pace of development and attracted the interest of big drugmakers, including Sanofi SA (SASY.PA), GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L) and Takeda Pharmaceuticals (4502.T).
Although Zika infections are mild or asymptomatic in most people, demand for a vaccine is expected to be strong because it can cause devastating birth defects, pharmaceutical executives and disease experts said.
The most lucrative market is seen in travelers seeking inoculation against the virus that has moved rapidly across the Americas and is the only mosquito-borne disease also spread through sex.
Source: Reuters (link opens in a new window)
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