Valneva and the Serum Institute of India (SII) have ended a license agreement for chikungunya vaccine supply in Asia after only a year of working together.
The agreement, signed in December 2024, saw Valneva partner with SII to support the availability of the former company's one-shot vaccine, which is known under the brand name Ixchiq in approved regions, in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). SII is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by number of doses.
However, just a year on, the two companies have decided to discontinue the agreement. Valneva said it wanted to “assume direct control over its supply chain and commercialisation for endemic high-risk countries.”
The French vaccine speicalist did not immediately respond to Pharmaceutical Technology when asked for further comment.
In July 2024, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) gave $41.3m in funding to Valneva to expand access of Ixchiq. This included supporting clinical trials in vulnerable groups, as well as aiding technology transfer to an additional manufacturer to supply the vaccine to Asian LMICs.
Chikungunya, caused by its namesake virus, is a mosquito-borne disease mainly found in tropical regions. The most affected subcontinental region in Asia is the southeast, with India reporting the highest number of cases in 2025, as per data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
For a while, Ixchiq was the only licensed vaccine against the virus, though this changed when Bavarian Nordic’s Vimkunya entered the market in February 2025.
Safety concerns linked to Ixchiq created a turbulent past year for Valneva. In August 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Ixchiq amid reports of serious adverse events (SAEs). The licence suspension means the vaccine – a key product in Valneva’s commercial portfolio – is currently prohibited from being shipped or sold in the US. Europe lifted a temporary restriction on the vaccine in July 2025.
In financial reports from the first nine-months of 2025, the company downgraded its 2025 guidance, despite revenue growth. Valneva said it expected sales of between €155m ($179.7m) and €170m, down from a €170m-€180m target revealed in its Q1 report.
In November, Valneva decided to decrease its operational footprint in France by shutting a facility tasked with both operational and research and development (R&D) activities. In an emailed statement to Pharmaceutical Technology at the time, a company spokesperson said that 30 positions would be terminated as part of the move.
Ixchiq is one of three commercial vaccines developed by Valneva, alongside Ixiaro/Jespect for Japanese encephalitis and Dukoral for cholera.
