Sementis has used its SCV Platform to develop a single vectored chikungunya/Zika virus dual candidate vaccine for these two diseases that are transmitted by the same mosquito species where in a single bite can transmit both viruses at the same time.

·       Chikungunya is a debilitating disease which causes severe joint pain and can lead to long lasting arthritis.

·       Zika is (also) a virus currently circulating in the Americas and Asia which has recently received a lot of attention because of its association with microcephaly in children and Guillain-Barré in adults.

·       Both Chikungunya and Zika can be transmitted from the bite of Aedes mosquitos, which are prevalent in tropical and temperate regions, and therefore both diseases have the potential to spread more widely.

·       Not surprisingly there is an overlap of regions where both viruses co-exist, with current hotspots being the Americas particularly the Caribbean countries and territories. Chikungunya is also endemic in Africa and Asia, with concerns that Zika will also become endemic in these regions as the occurrence of Chikungunya keeps on rising.

To combat both these diseases, Sementis aims to develop dual acting vaccine to prevent both Chikungunya and Zika infection, making it a potential highly cost effective public health outcome.