Sputnik V doses to arrive in India likely by May 1 as 3rd phase COVID vaccination begins

As India begins phase-3 vaccination for those above 18 years, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Wednesday stated that the first doses of its COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' will be delivered to India on May 1. However, a spokesperson for Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd - RDIF's partner, said it is not providing a specific date for the launch. India approved Sputnik V for emergency usage on April 13.

Sputnik V doses to come by May 1

While Dr. Reddy's had estimated that vaccine doses delivery will start from the end of May, that timeline has now been shifted to anytime in May. “Discussions over pricing and the number of doses are still ongoing between Dr Reddy’s, RDIF and the government," the spokesperson said. RDIF has said that the company will price the vaccine at less than $10 ( ₹750) per dose in international markets.

RDIF said that it is expecting over 50 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine to be manufactured in India by this summer. "We believe more than 50 million doses a month (to be manufactured) in the summer (in a couple of months)," said RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev. Meanwhile, Russsian President Vladimir Putin talked to PM Modi promising "Our cooperation on Sputnik-V vaccine will assist humanity in battling the pandemic".

About Sputnik V

The vaccine’s efficacy is reported at 91.4%  based on data analysis of the final control point of clinical trials, states its official website, which has been reviewed by Lancet journal. Currently, the vaccine’s clinical trials are underway in the UAE, Egypt, Venezuela and Belarus while it has been registered in Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Bolivia and Serbia for inoculation, state reports. In September 2020, Dr. Reddy’s and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) entered into a partnership to conduct the clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and the rights for distribution in India.

As per its official website, Sputnik V is the world’s first registered vaccine based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector-based platform. Ranking as one of WHO's top 10 candidate vaccines, Sputnik V is currently conducting post-registration clinical trial in Russia with 40,000 volunteers. While the vaccine's overall efficacy is confirmed at 91.4%, it boasts a 100% efficacy against severe cases of coronavirus. The cost of one dose of the vaccine for international markets will be less than $10 and Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine that can be stored at a temperature of +2 to +8 degrees Celsius. Apart from India, Brazil, China, South Korea are RDIF's international partners.