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French pharmaceutical giant, Sanofi SA through its vaccine division Sanofi Pasteur, has been given a green light by Brazilian health authorities to advertise and market its dengue vaccine Dengvaxi following a string of government endorsements by other countries like Philippines and Mexico.

The newly endorsed vaccine is expected to prevent illnesses caused by four strains of dengue virus for people age 9-45.

Following the regulatory approval, Dengvaxi is the first dengue vaccine to receive official clearance in Brazil. This deal could prove very lucrative for the Paris-based drug firm amid a rising demand brought about by an alarming surge of dengue cases across South America's largest country.

Investment research firm Zacks sees a profitable future for the company as it rakes huge market shares in developing countries where dengue is largely endemic.

According Wall Street Journal, recent data from the country's health ministry reported an astronomical explosion of confirmed as well as potential cases of dengue around 1.5 million. This year's figure is more than twice the number of cases registered last year.

In line with the government's effort to reduce dengue deaths by half in 2020, Sanofi believes that its newly-developed vaccine shall contribute in improving public health situation in Brazil.

Dengvaxia has the potential to significantly reduce the dengue disease burden and to help Brazil reach the WHO's 2020 dengue-reduction objectives," exclaimed Guillaume Leroy, Sanofi Pasteur's vice-president as quoted saying by The Morning Call.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the number of worldwide dengue infections at about 400 million every year mostly in developing countries with tropical climates. This mosquito-borne flu-like disease has symptoms that include extremely high and incapacitating fever, joint and muscle pain, headaches, and skin rashes.