Covid tracker: SII may make Sputnik V in India

India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive could get a booster shot if Serum Institute of India (SII) is able to get regulatory clearances to make the Russian Sputnik V vaccine locally. This would be the third vaccine from the SII stable after AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Novovax’s Covovax.

SII has sought permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and has submitted an application, (C-10), on Wednesday for test analysis and examination. Once these permissions are received, an emergency use authorisation (EUA) would be required.

Currently, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has a tie-up with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to make the Sputnik V Covid vaccine in India.
Dr Reddy’s received the EUA for Sputnik V in India on April 13 and also permission from DCGI to import the Russian vaccine.The first lot of the vaccines has been imported with three million units arriving in the country on Tuesday.

The imported doses ofSputnik-V are priced at `995.40 per dose and Dr Reddy’s has indicated prices would be lower once local supplies begin. The first lot of Sputnik vaccines made in India has received clearance on Tuesday from the Central Drug Laboratory, Kasauli.

SII has committed to make 100 million Covishield vaccines a month from June. It has started manufacturing the Novavax vaccine, in small batches, at its Pune plant, even as it awaits regulatory clearance in the US and subsequently in India.

India was expected to make 850 million doses of the Sputnik vaccines in a year. Dr Reddys is expected to make 156 million vaccines in the August to December ’21 period. The Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, has demonstrated an efficacy of 91.6% against the Covid-19 virus.

Gamaleya Institute had also announced it as introducing a single-shot vaccine dose of Sputnik Light, which it claimed had an efficacy of around 80% against the Covid-19 virus. Sputnik Light would be cheaper than the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine.

The launch of the single dose Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik Light, is also expected in the country. V K Paul, member, health, Niti Aayog had said in a recent media briefing that Sputnik Light would help in doubling the vaccination coverage in the country.