Words by EMJ GOLD newsdesk
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has validated Bavarian Nordics’ marketing authorisation application for its single-dose chikungunya vaccine, bringing it closer to a potential UK approval.
The application, submitted in February 2025, builds on a positive opinion issued by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in January. CHIKV VLP, Bavarian Nordics’ vaccine, received regulatory approval from both the FDA and the European Commission in February. If approved by the MHRA, authorisation in the UK could be granted in the first half of 2025.
“Following the approvals of our chikungunya vaccine in the US and EU last month, we are excited about the opportunity to expand its availability to European countries later this year,” said Paul Chaplin, President and CEO, Bavarian Nordic. “With our recent organisational expansion into the UK, we are strongly positioned to leverage synergies across our growing travel health portfolio in the launch of the chikungunya vaccine for travellers, including those aged 12-17 years, pending approval by the MHRA.”
French pharmaceutical company Valneva SE became the first to receive UK approval for a chikungunya vaccine in February 2025. Currently, its vaccine is licensed for use in adults aged 18 and over. Bavarian Nordic’s application for its chikungunya vaccine, if approved, would extend eligibility to individuals as young as 12 years of age.
Bavarian Nordic has recently expanded its commercial operations in the UK to support its growing travel health vaccine portfolio, which includes vaccines for rabies, typhoid, and cholera. The company is also a key supplier of mpox vaccines to the UK Health Security Agency.
