SII seeks DCGI's permission for test license to manufacture Sputnik V COVID vaccine

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], June 3 : Indian vaccine manufacturing company Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the production of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in India.
SII has applied for a test license to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, Dr Reddy's Lab is the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) partner, which markets the Sputnik V vaccine in India.
RDIF and Dr Reddy's Laboratories had in a joint statement said , "Dr Reddy's Laboratories is the brand custodian of the Sputnik V vaccine in India and has the sole distribution right of the first 250 million doses ( first and second dose components included) of the vaccine in India,"
SII is currently involved in the production of Astrazenaca's Covishield and Novavax.
According to the sources, Dr Reddy's Laboratories is in talks with the Centre to bring Sputnik Light to the country and an application seeking regulatory approval to be filed soon.
As per the data given by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and Financed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Russian Sputnik Light coronavirus vaccine (the first component of Sputnik V vaccine) has demonstrated 79.4 percent efficacy according to the analysed data taken from 28 days after the injection was administered.
On the other hand the latest data collected by the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) has announced the latest data of Sputnik Light that demonstrates 78.6-83.7 per cent efficacy among the elderly.