The first shot of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for Covid-19 has been administered in Hyderabad by Dr Reddy’s. The pharma firm said that the imported vaccines would be priced at Rs 995.40 (Rs 948 + 5 per cent GST), adding that the rice may reduce when local supply begins.
To satisfy regulatory requirements to ensure a constant and timely supply of the vaccine, Dr Reddy’s is working with 6 manufacturers in India, informed the firm.
Sputnik V, which is said to have an efficiency of 91.6 per cent, is the third vaccine to be approved for national inoculation in India, after Covishield and Covaxin. Phase 3 trials of the vaccine were conducted in Russia.
In an official statement, the company said the first dose was given as part of a limited pilot. “Further consignments of imported doses are expected over the upcoming months. Subsequently, supply of Sputnik V vaccine will commence from Indian manufacturing partners,” it stated.
The first consignment of imported doses of the Sputnik V vaccine arrived in India on May 1 and was cleared for emergency use in India on April 13. "Further consignments of imported doses are expected over the upcoming months. Subsequently, supply of the Sputnik V vaccine will commence from Indian manufacturing partners," Dr Reddy's said.
Developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, the vaccine uses two different viruses that cause the common cold (adenovirus) in humans. The adenoviruses are impaired in a way that they cannot replicate in humans and cannot cause disease. They are also modified so that the vaccine delivers a code for making the coronavirus spike protein. The formula aims at assuring that when the virus enters the body, it can scale an immune response in the form of antibodies. Sputnik vaccine is available in both liquid and powder form. The liquid form requires minus 18 degrees for storage and the powder form can be kept in between 2 and 8 degrees, for which the stability tests are on.
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The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy’s partnered in September 2020 to conduct clinical trials and for its distribution rights in India.