NEW DELHI: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has roped in its third Indian manufacturing partner, Strides Pharma Science Ltd’s subsidiary Stelis Biopharma, to produce and supply to it over 200 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.
Under the partnership, Stelis will produce a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian vaccine, which is sufficient to vaccinate 100 million people.
Stelis and RDIF expect supplies to start from July-September, and the Indian biopharma company may also provide additional supply volumes beyond the initial agreement, the two companies said in a joint statement on Friday.
“We will also work with RDIF to increase the availability of the vaccine beyond our initial commitments," Arun Kumar, founder of Strides Group, was quoted as saying in a statement.
On Tuesday, Gland Pharma Ltd, the Indian unit of China’s Fosun Pharma, said it has agreed to produce as many as 252 million doses of the vaccine at its Hyderabad facility.
Hetero Biopharma was the first Indian company to ink a manufacturing pact with the Russian sovereign fund in November. The Hyderabad-based company would produce up to 100 million doses of the vaccine annually.
In total, RDIF has now signed production pacts for around 550 million doses, and interestingly, none of the three companies are traditional vaccine manufacturers, but rather drug makers.
The company also has a partnership with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, through which the Indian drugmaker is currently conducting a phase 2 and 3 bridging study in India to prove that its vaccine produces a similar immune response as it does in the Russian population, where an efficacy study has been conducted. The vaccine has been found to have an efficacy of 91.6%.
After the vaccine gets an emergency authorisation in India, Dr Reddy’s can also market up to 250 million doses in the country.
The fund also has similar agreements with companies outside India, including Brazil’s União Quimica, Italy’s Adienne Pharma and Biotech, South Korea’s Korus Pharm.
RDIF is responsible for the global commercialization of Sputnik V vaccine that was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow. In India, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd is conducting a phase 2 and 3 bridging study of the vaccine, and is in the process of securing regulatory authorization for it.
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