Dr Reddy’s Laboratories shares touched a day high of Rs 1,207.50 after signing a distribution deal for Takeda’s dengue vaccine.

Here’s the deal in simple terms. Dr Reddy’s will handle the marketing and distribution of Qdenga in India’s private market, meaning private hospitals and clinics.

Takeda will keep the rights to sell the vaccine through the government’s public health programmes and will also take care of manufacturing and importing it into the country.

Qdenga protects against all four types of the dengue virus. It’s given as two doses, three months apart, and people don’t need to get tested for past dengue infection before taking it.

This makes the rollout simpler and faster for everyone involved. India’s drug regulator gave Qdenga the green light in July this year for people aged between 4 and 60. That approval made it the first dengue vaccine cleared for use in the country.

Dr Reddy’s expects the vaccine to actually reach the Indian market sometime in the first half of 2027, once the remaining approval steps with local authorities are completed.

There’s no cash changing hands upfront in this deal. Dr Reddy’s isn’t paying Takeda anything at signing, and there are no milestone payments involved either.

Globally, Qdenga already has approval in 43 countries, with over 32 million doses given out since 2022. Dengue continues to be a serious health issue in India.

The World Health Organization recorded over 232,000 dengue cases and 233 deaths in the country in 2024 alone, out of 14.4 million cases worldwide that year.

By 11:05 am on Friday, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories was trading at Rs 1,190.70 on the NSE, up 1.34% from Wednesday’s close of Rs 1,175.

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