India among 20 countries interested in obtaining Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik V

August 12, 2020 50 Views No Comment

New Delhi, August 12 (Agencies): India is among the 20 countries that have shown interest in obtaining ‘Sputnik V’, the first registered vaccine for Covid-19 in the world. The vaccine, that is being developed by Gamaleya Center, enjoys support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The RDIF is also investing in mass production of this vaccine and has setup a website that has information about the vaccine.

On the page related to ‘partnership’, the website claims, “At least 20 countries had expressed interest in obtaining the Sputnik V, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and India.”

It says the plan is to ramp up vaccine production to 200 million doses by the end of 2020, including 30 million doses in Russia.

Mass production of the vaccine is expected to start in September 2020. RDIF finances the production of ‘Sputnik V’ in Russia based on the production capacities of its portfolio companies, R-Pharm and Binnopharm, a part of the Alium Group.

“RDIF sees strong global interest in the vaccine and plans to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials in different countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Brazil, India and Philippines, and start mass production in other countries in partnership with local sovereign wealth funds, including India, South Korea and Brazil, as well as, in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Cuba,” the website says.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has registered the first vaccine against Covid-19.

“As far as I know, this morning for the first time in the world a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered,” Putin said, adding that one of his daughters had tested the Russian Covid-19 vaccine on herself and that she is feeling well.

Putin said the vaccine forms stable cell and antibody immunity. “I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated. So, in sense, she took part in testing,” he said.

Putin said after the first vaccine shot, his daughter had a 38°C fever, and on the next day, the fever was 37°C. “And then, after the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine. She is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count,” Putin said.

Moscow hailed this move as an evidence of its scientific prowess.

However, the vaccine still has to complete final trials and thus raises concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval.

Russian health workers treating Covid-19 patients will be offered the chance of volunteering to be vaccinated in the coming weeks.

Regulatory approval paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population and authorities hope it will allow the economy, which has been battered by fallout from the virus, to return to full capacity.

The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product, but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before sound science and safety, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Its approval by the health ministry foreshadows the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial. Such trials, which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine’s effect, are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval.

(With Reuters inputs)