We have partnered to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, said Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Stelis Biopharma.
In a joint statement, the two partners said that the agreement between them was reached under the aegis of Enso Healthcare LLP, Russia's sovereign wealth fund's coordination partner for sourcing Sputnik V vaccines in India.
The parties intend to commence supplies from the third quarter of 2021. Stelis will also continue to work with the RDIF to provide additional supply volumes beyond the initial agreement, it added.
"We are delighted to announce our agreement with Stelis Biopharma for a significant capacity of Sputnik V," Russian Direct Investment Fund Chief Executive Officer Kirill Dmitriev said.
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The significant vaccine volumes which will be produced jointly with Stelis will help to widen access to the vaccine on a global scale, he added.
In a similar vein, Strides Group Founder Arun Kumar said: “We are delighted to partner with RDIF to make a substantial contribution towards providing the global supply of the Sputnik V vaccine which is one of the most efficacious approved vaccines commercially available".
Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine that uses two different human adenoviral vectors in the course of vaccination. It demonstrates a 91.6 per cent efficacy rate as confirmed by a peer-reviewed study published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, the statement said.
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Earlier this week, drug firm Gland Pharma had said it had entered into an agreement with RDIF to supply up to 252 million doses of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.
With PTI Inputs
