India gets 3rd vaccine, Russia’s Sputnik V cleared; fight against Covid-19 gets emboldened

New Delhi: Amid sudden surge in Coronavirus cases, Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V has been given nod for emergency use in the country, said sources. Developed by Russian researchers, the vaccine is set to embolden India’s fight against Covid-19.

The approval for 3rd vaccine comes after Subject Expert Committee (SEC) meeting today, which considered Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use authorisation (EUA) in India.

2 Covid-19 vaccines namely Covaxin and Covishield are already in operation. Sputnik V will add to the list and has a reported efficacy rate of 91.6%.

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, last week sought the government’s approval for the vaccine to be used in India. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) partnered with Dr Reddy’s in September 2020 to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V in India.

DCGI had then sought additional data from drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine trial.

With a manufacturing capacity of 850 million doses in India, Sputnik V will give the much needed boost to India’s fight against coronavirus.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has inked deals with many Indian pharma companies such as Gland Pharma, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hetero Biopharma, Virchow Biotech and Stelis Biopharma for the production of vaccine doses.

Sputnik V, a two-dose vaccine

Earlier, Russian vaccine faced criticism from the medical community as it didn’t reveal its clinical trial data.

But in early February, late-stage trial results published in The Lancet medical journal revealed that the vaccine had an efficacy of roughly 92 per cent, significantly higher than both, Covishield and COVAXIN.

Like the two India-approved vaccines, Sputnik V is also a two-dose vaccine.