Another Indian pharma firm starts producing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

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Indian pharma firm Morepen Laboratories has also started manufacturing the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Tuesday.</p>
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The first test batch made at the company’s plant in Himachal Pradesh will be sent to Gamaleya, the Moscow institute which developed the vaccine, for quality controls, RDIF, which handles the marketing of the vaccine, said in a statement.</p>
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Morepen is the second Himachal Pradesh pharma company after Panacea Biotec Ltd to produce the Sputnik V vaccine.</p>
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Panacea Biotec has just got a manufacturing licence from the Indian drug regulator for producing and distributing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine which has been cleared for emergency use in the country.</p>
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<strong>Also read:</strong>  <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/health-news/serum-institute-of-india-too-seeks-nod-to-produce-russia-s-sputnik-v-vaccine-92722.html">Serum Institute of India too seeks nod to produce Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine</a></p>
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The licence is for batches of Sputnik V produced at its facilities at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, the company said in a statement on Sunday. These batches were earlier shipped to the Gamaleya Centre in Russia for quality checks.</p>
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Panacea Biotec said the Indian drugs regulator granted the licence following the company's collaboration with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the sovereign wealth fund which markets the vaccine internationally. Morepen will also have to go through the same process.</p>
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Panacea Biotec began production of the vaccine in May-end, and the company plans to produce 100 million doses annually.</p>
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<strong>Also read: </strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/health-news/zydus-cadila-vaccine-for-kids-aged-to-years-coming-soon-98257.html">Zydus Cadila vaccine for kids aged 12 to 18 years coming soon</a></p>
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The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has signed a deal to produce 750 million doses a year of Sputnik V in India. Apart from Panacea and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Morepen labs there are three other Indian pharmaceutical companies that will also manufacture the vaccine. Serum Institute of India. The country’s largest vaccine manufacturer has also sought permission from the regulator to start production of  Sputnik V</p>
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Sputnik V received authorisation for emergency use in India in April this year. The two-dose vaccine against Covid-19 was first approved in Russia on August 11 last year. With an efficacy of 91.6%, as published in the Lancet Medical Journal, the vaccine has been cleared and approved for mass use in more than 50 countries. </p>
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Sputnik V, has been soft launched in India with the first consignment carrying 150,000 doses of the vaccine arriving in Hyderabad on May 1. The first dose was administered in Hyderabad on May 14. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is the first licensed distributor for the vaccine in India.</p>
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The vaccine is priced at ₹995.40 per shot in the market, but the price is expected to come down once the locally produced shots hit the market.</p>