Valneva terminates Asia vaccine partnership with Serum Institute of India

INDIA—French biotech company Valneva and the Serum Institute of India (SII) have ended their partnership for the supply of Valneva’s chikungunya vaccine in Asia, just a year after signing the agreement.

The collaboration, established in December 2024, aimed to support the distribution of Valneva’s single-dose vaccine, Ixchiq, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Asia.

SII, renowned as the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume, was expected to help scale up access to the vaccine in endemic regions.

However, the two companies decided to discontinue the agreement after a short period.

Valneva stated that it now intends to “assume direct control over its supply chain and commercialization for endemic high-risk countries,” signaling a strategic shift in its approach.

In July 2024, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) awarded USD 41.3 million to Valneva to expand access to Ixchiq.

The grant aimed to support additional clinical trials in vulnerable populations and to facilitate technology transfer to another manufacturer to increase vaccine availability across Asian LMICs.

Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus, remains prevalent in tropical regions.

Southeast Asia is among the most affected regions, with India reporting the highest number of infections in 2025, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

For some time, Ixchiq remained the only licensed vaccine against chikungunya.

This exclusivity ended in February 2025, when Bavarian Nordic launched its rival vaccine, Vimkunya, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in adults and teenagers.

Valneva has faced a turbulent year due to safety concerns surrounding Ixchiq.

In August 2025, the FDA banned the vaccine in the United States following reports of serious adverse events (SAEs).

The suspension prohibits Valneva from selling or shipping Ixchiq within the U.S., a significant setback for one of its key commercial products.

Although the European Medicines Agency (EMA) temporarily restricted the vaccine earlier in 2025, this ban was lifted in July 2025.

Despite reporting revenue growth in the first nine months of 2025, Valneva cut its full-year guidance from €170 million–€180 million (USD197.1 million–USD208.7 million) to €155 million–€170 million (USD179.7 million–USD197.1 million).

The company also streamlined operations later that year by closing a French facility that handled both operations and research and development, resulting in the termination of 30 positions.

Ixchiq is one of three marketed vaccines developed by Valneva, alongside Ixiaro/Jespect for Japanese encephalitis and Dukoral for cholera.