Nicholas Piramal, India's leading drug research company and the fourth largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, is in discussions for a collaborative research venture with a leading French pharmaceutical company to jointly develop remedies for chikungunya.

"The talks are in initial stages and it is early to divulge more information. Soon we will announce details of the collaboration once various aspects and modalities of the research are finalized," Dr Swati Piramal, director-strategic alliances and communications, Nicholas Piramal India Limited told Pharmabiz.

Dr Swati, who returned from France a few days ago, noted that similar to the Indian situation, recently France also had to face the attack of chikungunya fever. In the first quarter of this year, chikungunya fever had caused direct or indirect killing of about 77 people and infecting another 157, 000 people in the French island of the Reunion, off the south east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. In India, it is estimated that about 13.2 lakh cases of the disease have been reported in about 169 districts, including 100 odd 'unconfirmed deaths,' mainly in Kerala.

At present vaccines are not available to prevent this disease and the doctors prescribe a combination of painkillers and anti-infectives to control the disease. This includes painkillers like diclofenac, paracetamol, diclofenac and paracetamol combinations, nimesulide and ibuprofen, and commonly used anti-infectives like cephalosporins and quinolones.

According to sources, this is the third outbreak of the disease in the country and the virus is similar to that caused outbreak in the West. Unlike the Asian strain in 1974, the current outbreak is caused by alphavirus spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which also carries the dengue virus and a new vector, the Aedes Albopictus, now seen in the Southern States. However, the experts and the Government are yet to confirm the genetic mutation of the virus.