Coronavirus Vaccine update: Russia’s Sputnik V to be manufactured in India soon? Check details

Coronavirus Vaccine in India latest update: Russia has so far termed ‘Sputnik V’ as the “first registered vaccine against COVID-19”.  (Reuters image)

Coronavirus Vaccine in India latest update: Russia has approached the Government of India and sought help for Phase 3 human trials and manufacture of its Coronavirus vaccine ‘Sputnik V’. Moscow wants the phase 3 human trials of the vaccine produced by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology at sites across India. Apart from this, Russia also wants mass production of its COVID-19 vaccine by the Indian companies. So far, Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or AZD1222 is underway at multiple sites across India by the Serum Institute.

New Delhi has said that there has been “significant movement” regarding phase 2 human trials and mass production of Russia’s vaccine in India. “The vaccine developed by Russia has been under consideration of the country. The government of Russia approached our government and sought help on two counts- to consider its manufacturing through our network of companies, and phase 3 studies in India. The government of India attaches great importance to this offer of partnership from a very special friend of this nation, and on both the tracks there has been significant movement,” Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog said.

“On the regulatory front, the Indian scientists have looked at the data. Yes, there will be a need for Phase 3 trials in the normal course of things, and, if that is required, we are paving the way so that such Phase 3 trials or bridging study, as per science and the Indian regulatory system, will be facilitated by the Indian government,” Dr Paul said.

Russia has so far termed ‘Sputnik V’ as the “first registered vaccine against COVID-19”. Before the start of clinical trials, the vaccine had gone through all stages of pre-clinical trials with experiments on different types of animals, including 2 types of primates.

Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the vaccine have been completed on August 1, 2020. The vaccine-induced strong antibody and cellular immune response. Not a single participant of the current clinical trials got infected with COVID-19 after being administered with the vaccine. The high efficacy of the vaccine was confirmed by high precision tests for antibodies in the blood serum of volunteers and indications were there about the formation of both antibody and cellular immune vaccine response. Post-registration clinical trials of ‘Sputnik V’ started from August, Russian authority stated in the dedicated website for ‘Sputnik V’.