Singapore: Japan's pharma giant Takeda Pharmaceutical has said that it is planning to begin the last phase of clinical trials for a vaccine against dengue fever in the next fiscal year.

With this vaccine, the company will be paving the way for inoculation against the mosquito-borne disease.

Takeda said in a statement that the vaccine, which uses attenuated live viruses, was developed by US startup company Inviragen, that was acquired by Takeda last year.

"A phase I clinical trial was performed in Colombia on a group of roughly 100 healthy subjects between 18 and 45 years old. The vaccine's safety was confirmed, and the details were published in a UK medical journal this month," it added.

As per a report, of the participants who received the vaccine, 76 developed antibodies against the dengue virus. More than 90 percent had antibodies against at least three of its four types, and roughly 60 percent had all four. Meanwhile, Phase II clinical trials, which examine a treatment's effects on a larger group, including children, have been underway since 2011 in Colombia, Thailand, Singapore and other locations.

The company explained that if everything goes well, it aims to start the final phase of trials in the next fiscal year and have the vaccine approved in the US and Europe in fiscal 2017-18.

The Japanese drug major also plans to bring the treatment to regions where the virus is widespread, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Sanofi too is developing a dengue vaccine, targeting commercialization next year.