New Delhi: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Panacea Biotec, one of India's leading vaccine producers have signed an agreement to produce 100 million SputnikV doses per year in India.
With India's drug regulator, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), is all set to give a go-ahead to SputnikV for emergency use authorisation, the agreement will definitely give a push to the global fight against Covid19 in general and India in particular.
"We are pleased to collaborate with RDIF to produce SputnikV for global markets. Panacea Biotec brings decades of vaccine manufacturing and distribution know-how to scale up SputnikV supplies. Panacea Biotec will produce SputnikV in its international accredited facilities complying with strict GMP standards and prequalified by WHO," said Dr Rajesh Jain, MD of Panacea Biotec.
Production of SputnikV at Panacea Biotec sites will help facilitate the global supply of SputnikV to international partners to RDIF.
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"Vaccine partnership is the only way to overcome the pandemic. The world continues its fight against Coronavirous and we see a growing interest in the SputnikV vaccine as it is one of the best vaccine available. Cooperation with Panacea Biotec is an important step to produce the vaccine in India and to supply our international partners around the world," said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF.
To date, SputnikV has been registered in 59 countries globally with a total population of over 1.5 billion people. The efficacy of SputnikV is found to be 91.6 per cent, as per data provided by the Lancet.
Meanwhile, sources in the government said that DCGI is likely to give approval for emergency use authorisation to Dr Reddy's Labs for use of SputnikV by next week. On Thursday last, the subject expert committee of DCGI has asked for some more details on the trial of the Russian vaccine.
SputnikV, a vaccine developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, is a two doses adenovirus-based vector vaccine. Meanwhile, drug firm Zydus Cadila on Monday has approached the DCGI seeking approval for its hepatitis drug Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2b for treating covid19.
The company said in a statement that phase III clinical trial of the drugs (PegiHep) has shown promising results in treating Covid19 patients.
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