According to The Lancet Global Health magazine, The Dengue Alliance, a partnership of institutions from dengue-endemic countries, promises to develop a novel dengue treatment utilizing repurposed medications and combinations within five years. Through a collaborative effort, they want to accelerate research, development, and delivery of dengue therapies.

“An integrated approach that comprises vector control, use of safe and effective vaccines, and an effective treatment is needed to face the growing challenges of dengue infection,” the alliance formed by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Switzerland, said in its comment.

The Dengue Alliance, established in 2022, is a global organization funded by dengue-endemic nations, including India's Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Brazil, Malaysia, and Thailand. The alliance aims to combat the rapidly spreading disease, which affects around 390 million people annually. The alliance attributes the increase to climate change, urbanization, and international travel. Despite vector control efforts, the alliance claims that current vaccines lack efficacy against certain serotypes.

“Therefore, an integrated approach that comprises vector control, use of safe and effective vaccines, and an effective treatment is needed to face the growing challenges of dengue infection,” they said.

The alliance, consisting of diverse working groups and a steering committee, is working to address knowledge gaps in epidemiology, biomarkers, diagnostics, clinical trials, and regulatory frameworks while advocating open science. They aim to start clinical trials with clinician input in endemic countries by 2023, recognizing dengue's true burden and funding new treatments.