Dr Reddy’s shares jump 3% on deal with Takeda to distribute dengue vaccine Qdenga

Shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories gained up to 3% on Friday after the pharmaceutical company announced an exclusive agreement with Japan-based Takeda Biopharmaceuticals to market and distribute its dengue vaccine Qdenga in India.

Following the announcement, Dr Reddy’s shares rose 3% to hit an intraday high of ₹1,207.50 on the BSE. At the time of reporting, the pharma major was trading 1.62% higher at ₹1,191, with a market capitalisation of ₹99,405.73 crore.

Under the agreement, Dr Reddy’s will exclusively promote and distribute Qdenga for pediatric and adult vaccination across India’s private market, subject to completion of applicable regulatory processes. The vaccine is expected to become available in India in the first half of 2027.

“Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., along with its subsidiaries together referred to as “Dr. Reddy’s”, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, through its Indian subsidiary Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Private Limited today entered into a distribution agreement under which Dr. Reddy’s will promote and distribute Takeda’s dengue vaccine, QDENGA®, across India’s private market for pediatric and adult vaccination in India,” the drug maker said in a BSE filing today.

QDENGA is India’s first CDSCO-approved dengue vaccine

QDENGA, developed by Takeda, received marketing authorisation from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in July 2026 for individuals aged 4-60 years, making it the country’s first approved dengue vaccine.

Dr Reddy’s will be the exclusive partner for the promotion and distribution of Qdenga in the private market for pediatric and adult vaccination. Takeda will retain the rights to promote and distribute the vaccine in India’s public market, along with legal ownership and overall medical and brand oversight, the release noted.

The company said Qdenga is India’s first approved dengue vaccine, with the approval marking an important milestone in efforts to strengthen dengue prevention and management.

“As the second-largest vaccine player in India, we believe the introduction of India’s first approved dengue vaccine is an important development for the country’s healthcare landscape. Through our collaboration with Takeda, we look forward to making QDENGA available to eligible individuals and contributing to efforts aimed at addressing the country’s dengue burden,” said M.V. Ramana, CEO - Global Generics, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

Takeda said the collaboration will combine its expertise in dengue prevention and vaccine science with Dr Reddy’s healthcare network and commercial reach across India. The companies will also work on healthcare-professional engagement, disease awareness, promotion and distribution of the vaccine in the private market.

While inclusion in India’s public immunisation programme remains a long-term ambition, the companies said private-market availability through Dr Reddy’s will provide a pathway for eligible individuals to access the vaccine once it becomes available.

Dengue cases rise 11-fold in India

According to the release, reported dengue cases in India have increased 11-fold over the past two decades. A nationwide dengue surveillance study conducted by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research found that all four dengue virus serotypes - DENV-1 to DENV-4 - are co-circulating across multiple regions in India.

The release said dengue cases occur year-round across India, making prevention and management an ongoing public-health priority.

Dr Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets, International Business Unit, Takeda, said the company is committed to supporting India’s evolving healthcare needs and expanding access to dengue vaccination.

“We welcome the recent Parliamentary Committee on Health’s recommendation to consider dengue vaccine for the Universal Immunization Program. This reflects the growing recognition of dengue as a significant public health challenge. In parallel, our private-market collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s will help enable timely private-market access for eligible individuals once QDENGA becomes available in India,” he said.

The release said the collaboration brings together Takeda’s expertise in dengue prevention and vaccine science and Dr Reddy’s commercial reach and healthcare network in India.

Since 2022, Takeda’s dengue vaccine has been approved in 43 countries, including India, with more than 32 million doses distributed worldwide through public and private programmes, according to the release. The World Health Organization has recommended the vaccine without pre-vaccination screening for use in high-endemic countries, and Qdenga is listed on the WHO List of Prequalified Vaccines.