The Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is piloting Russia’s Sputnik V candidate vaccine , currently in Phase 3 trials, has partnered with the Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories to test, and subject to regulatory approvals in India, supply 100 million doses of the vaccine.
G.V. Prasad, co-chairman and managing director, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, said in a joint statement with RDIF: “We are pleased to partner with RDIF to bring the vaccine to India. The Phase 1 and 2 results have shown promise, and we will be conducting Phase 3 trials in India to meet the requirements of the Indian regulators. Sputnik V vaccine could provide a credible option in our fight against COVID-19 in India.”
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The RDIF said in the statement, “The Sputnik V vaccine, which is based on well-studied human adenoviral vector platform with proven safety, is undergoing clinical trials for the coronavirus pandemic. Deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020 subject to completion of successful trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in India.”
The agreement does not include manufacturing the vaccine in India. An RDIF spokesperson said the organisation was still looking for manufacturers.
The Dr. Reddy’s-RDIF agreement constitutes the second major international deal for supplying a potential vaccine after the agreement between British company AstraZeneca and the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII). The latter will manufacture 100 million doses of the vaccine, of which reportedly half will be for India.
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On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the world’s first registered vaccine against COVID-19 based on the human adenoviral vectors platform. Detailed information on the vaccine, the technological platform of human adenoviral vectors, and other details are available at sputnikvaccine.com.
On September 4, a research paper on the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the vaccine was published in The Lancet , a peer-reviewed international medical journal, demonstrating no serious adverse effects and a stable immune response in 100% of the participants. Post-registration clinical trials involving 40,000 volunteers are currently on. More than 55,000 volunteers had applied to take part in the trials. The first results are expected to be published in October-November.
