Vaccine company Valneva SE (Nasdaq:VALN) (Euronext Paris:VLA) announced on Monday that it has secured its second approval for IXCHIQ, its single-dose chikungunya vaccine.

Health Canada authorised IXCHIQ for preventing chikungunya in adults aged 18 and older.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne viral disease spread by the bites of infected female Aedes mosquitoes which causes fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. Joint pain is often debilitating and can persist for weeks to years.

This decision follows approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2023. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to decide on marketing authorisation in Q3 2024.

IXCHIQ, the world's first licensed chikungunya vaccine, targets a significant unmet medical need. Valneva has already begun commercialisation in the United States and targets first Canadian doses by Q4 2024.

Partnerships with CEPI and Instituto Butantan aim to make the vaccine accessible in low- and middle-income countries.