Valneva Responds to French Government’s Call for Vaccine Supply of IXCHIQ® against Chikungunya Outbreak in La Réunion
Valneva SE (Nasdaq: VALN; Euronext Paris: VLA), a specialty vaccine company, today announced that it is responding to the chikungunya outbreak that is rapidly intensifying in France’s Island of La Réunion with its vaccine IXCHIQ®. In agreement and with support from the local public health agency, the Agence Régionale de Santé La Réunion, Valneva will provide 40,000 doses starting early April, with an option to provide more, through distribution agreements with the Island’s wholesalers. This supply of doses, paid for by the French authorities, is in line with the recommendation of France’s national public health agency, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), to prioritize for vaccination adults aged 65 and over, with co-morbidities. IXCHIQ® remains available for purchase in France (mainland and overseas).
Chikungunya cases have spiked substantially in La Réunion since early 2025, with 8,600 cases recorded and almost 3,000 new cases during the week of March 3 to 9, 2025[1]. Similar to the 2005-2006 chikungunya outbreak, there is a risk of transmission to mainland France and other French overseas territories. Local authorities of La Réunion have published a Level 4 emergency crisis management plan to contain the outbreak, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agency of the United States (U.S.) also issued a travel alert as millions of international travelers visit France’s southern resorts and La Réunion Island annually.
Juan Carlos Jaramillo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Valneva, “Chikungunya outbreaks spread rapidly, so it is crucial to vaccinate as many people as possible to help contain the virus. We have the capacity to supply more doses and will continue working closely with Agence Régionale de Santé La Réunion to manage this outbreak locally and prevent its spread to other regions through international travel.”
IXCHIQ® is the world’s first licensed chikungunya vaccine available to address this significant unmet medical need. It is approved in the United States[2], Europe[3], Canada[4] and the United Kingdom[5] for the prevention of disease caused by the chikungunya virus in individuals 18 years of age and older. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently adopted a positive opinion recommending authorization of a label extension for IXCHIQ® to individuals 12 years of age and older[6].
On March 5, 2025, the Haute Autorité de Santé recommended to prioritize for vaccination adults aged 65 and over, especially those with comorbidities, followed by adults aged 18 and over with comorbidities, and vector control workers[7].
Valneva is focused on expanding the vaccine’s label and access. In the third quarter of 2024, the Company expanded its partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI)[8], with support from the EU Horizon Europe program, through a $41.3 million grant to advance broader access to the vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), post-marketing studies and research to support potential label extensions in children, adolescents and pregnant women.
Within the framework of this partnership, Valneva recently announced the signing of an exclusive license agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII)[9], the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by number of doses, enabling the supply of the vaccine in Asia, with a commitment to priority supply of the chikungunya vaccine at an affordable price to public health markets in LMICs.
This new agreement complements the license agreement Valneva signed in 2021 with Instituto Butantan in Brazil for the development, manufacturing and marketing of a local chikungunya vaccine at an affordable price for distribution in Latin American countries and selected LMICs affected by the disease.
Contact
Laetitia Bachelot-Fontaine
VP Global Communications & European Investor Relations
M +33 (0)6 4516 7099
laetitia.bachelot-fontaine@valneva.com
Joshua Drumm, Ph.D.
VP Global Investor Relations
M +001 917 815 4520
joshua.drumm@valneva.com