'Made in India' Sputnik V COVID vaccine to be available from Sept-October: Dr. Reddy's

As country continues to battle against pandemic, Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Monday said that "Me in India" Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses are likely to be available from September-October. Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) h signed an agreement for distribution of Sputnik V vaccine in India. 

Dr Reddy's Laboratories in a statement said," We expect that locally manufactured doses are likely to be available from September-October period."

Dr Reddy's Laboratories on availability of Sputnik V vaccine

Informing that y have received 31.5 lakh doses of component 1 and 4.5 lakh doses of component 2 of Sputnik V vaccine in India, Dr Reddy's Laboratories said that it is working closely with RDIF to ramp up supplies. It furr said that it is also working closely with its partners in India for manufacturing reiness.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories' release re, " Sputnik V vaccination launch we initiated as a pilot in May 2021 has seen grual and stey commercial scale-up and roll-out all over India since n, having w reached around 80 cities in India. We have partnered with major hospitals around country and set up our cold chain infrastructure across more than 300 locations since vaccine requires -18 degree C temperature."

Earlier, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) h issued a statement, stating that production of Russia's Sputnik V COVID vaccine is expected to come fully on stream in September. It h said, "Production in India is expected to come fully onstream in September and RDIF expects India to become a major production hub for Sputnik V vaccine with such companies as Serum Institute of India, world's biggest vaccine producer, Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, Virchow Biotech and Morepen Laboratories working to produce vaccine."

Russia's COVID vaccine-Sputnik V

vaccine has been developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and is being marketed by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), globally. Hyderab-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories, marketing partner for vaccine in country, has been importing shots from Russia. By September-October, Hyderab-based pharmaceutical company, apart from imported shots, is expected to make available locally manufactured shots.  vaccine has been approved for emergency use in India. 

Apart from India, Sputnik V vaccine has been registered in 67 countries.  data gared during vaccination of population in a number of countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Serbia, Bahrain, Hungary, San-Mari, UAE, and ors, shows that Sputnik V is one of safest and most effective coronavirus vaccines. Russian health officials have so far, received reports of unusual blood-clotting disorders in persons who received Sputnik V vaccination. 

vaccine uses two different viruses that cause common cold (evirus) in humans. It employs a different vector for each of two shots, given 21 days apart. According to Gamaleya and RDIF, Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 92 per cent.

(Im: ANI, PTI)