NEW DELHI, Sept 16 - The Russian Direct Investment Fund is collaborating with Indian pharma giant Dr Reddy�s Laboratories to conduct clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 as well as its distribution, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on Wednesday.
The RDIF is in talks with Indian regulators to ensure that all the requirements for clinical trials are being met, he said.
The RDIF and Dr Reddy�s Laboratories Ltd, a global pharmaceutical company with headquarters in India, have agreed to supply 100 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and collaborate on clinical trials and distribution of the vaccine in India, Dmitriev told PTI in an email interview.
The deliveries could begin as early as November 2020 after the registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in India if all goes well, the RDIF chief said. This is subject to successful trials and the regulator�s approval.
An RDIF official said Phase 3 trials will be conducted in India and an announcement on this is expected soon.
The Russian sovereign wealth fund also issued a statement quoting GV Prasad, co-chairperson and managing director of Dr Reddy�s Laboratories as saying, �We are pleased to partner with RDIF to bring the vaccine to India. The Phase I and II results have shown promise, and we will be conducting Phase-III trials in India to meet the requirements of the Indian regulators.�
Sputnik V vaccine, he said, could provide a credible option in the fight against COVID-19 in India.
The Sputnik V vaccine has been developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and RDIF. � PTI
