Support The Moscow Times!

Russia to Send India 100M Coronavirus Vaccine Doses

India is one of at least 32 countries that have expressed interest in testing and obtaining Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Igor Ivanko / Moskva News Agency

Russia will sell 100 million doses of its highly touted coronavirus vaccine to India once final trials and regulatory steps are completed, Russia’s sovereign fund that is bankrolling the project announced Wednesday.

India is one of at least 32 countries that have expressed interest in testing and obtaining Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Brazil, Mexico and Kazakhstan have signed supply deals with Russia so far.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said it has partnered with the Hyderabad-based global pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy’s on clinical trials and distribution of Sputnik V in India.

“Upon regulatory approval in India, RDIF shall supply to Dr. Reddy’s 100 million doses of the vaccine,” it said in a statement on its website.

Deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020 subject to completion of successful trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in India,” RDIF added.

RDIF has a manufacturing partnership agreement to make 300 million doses of the Russian adenovirus-based vector vaccine, which is administered in two shots, in India.

Russia began post-registration Phase 3 trials of Sputnik V among 40,000 volunteers in Moscow earlier this month amid questions surrounding its long-term safety. First results are expected either next month or in November, RDIF said.

India's confirmed Covid-19 cases soared past 5 million Wednesday. The last million infections were reported in the country of 1.3 billion over the past 11 days, with global health officials warning that India is “not even in the middle” of its outbreak.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more