Drugmakers, Feds Explore Zika Options

Several major drugmakers are exploring development of a vaccine to prevent the Zika virus as the mosquito-borne disease spreads quickly throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Sanofi announced that it will be implementing a Zika vaccine program. Meanwhile, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer say they are evaluating current technologies to determine the potential to combat the virus.

Merck — which helped develop the first successful Ebola vaccine — said that it was reaching out to public health agencies to determine how its expertise might prove beneficial in the fight against the virus.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government also is launching an effort to develop a vaccine. "We're already starting on it," says Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The agency also plans to increase funding to Brazilian agencies to bolster research efforts. "That's the fastest way to get them to work on diagnostics and vaccines," Fauci says.