A Comprehensive Monograph on the Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, Inactivated, Adsorbed (Ixiaro®)

Executive Summary

This report provides an exhaustive analysis of the Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, Inactivated, Adsorbed (DrugBank ID: DB17795), commercially known as Ixiaro®. The vaccine represents a critical tool in the prevention of Japanese encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral disease with a significant public health burden across Asia and the Western Pacific. While the majority of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infections are asymptomatic, the development of neuroinvasive disease, though rare, is catastrophic, with a case-fatality rate of 20-30% and a high incidence of permanent neurological sequelae among survivors. The absence of a specific antiviral therapy underscores the paramount importance of prevention through vaccination.

Ixiaro® is a modern, second-generation vaccine developed to replace older, mouse brain-derived products that were associated with significant safety concerns. It is a purified, inactivated vaccine based on the JEV strain SA14-14-2, propagated in a Vero cell culture substrate. This technological platform ensures a highly purified, consistent product with a superior safety and tolerability profile. The virus is inactivated with formaldehyde and formulated with a hydrated aluminum hydroxide adjuvant to potentiate the immune response.