10 Feb 2016

French company wants to develop Zika vaccine

4:36 pm on 10 February 2016
Tests for Zika

Tests for Zika Photo: AFP

The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur says it hopes to begin clinical testing in a year in its efforts to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus.

Its CEO, Olivier Brandicourt, said a vaccine would however take at least three years to develop.

Sanofi Pasteur became the first company to developed a vaccine against dengue, which is a disease similar to Zika.

Mr Brandicourt said it was to be established if people who were exposed to dengue had some immunity to Zika as that would help hasten development of vaccine.

Zika first appeared in the Pacific Islands in 2007 and peaked two years ago.