COVID-19 vaccine: Russia's RDIF, Serum Institute to make Sputnik V in India

Production has not yet started. SII, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has already received cell and vector samples from Russia's Gamaleya Centre, RDIF said.

"With their import approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the cultivation process has begun," RDIF said in a statement.

Dmitriev said he expected the first batches of the vaccine to be produced in the coming months and for production to "ramp up" quickly this year.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, said in the same statement he hoped that millions of doses could be produced in the coming months and that trial batches would be available from September.

Sputnik V comprises two components and the second one has proved harder to manufacture in Russia. read more

RDIF did not say whether SII would make both components or just the first one.

A one-shot version, comprising the first shot only, is called Sputnik Light.

India's full rollout of Sputnik V has been put on hold until a Russian producer provides equal quantities of its two differing doses, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd REDY.NS, which markets and distributes it inside India, said on Monday. read more

It said it so far received far fewer doses of the second component than the first one.

Some countries have widened the gap between administering the two doses to prioritise vaccinating as many people as possible with the first component. read more

RDIF has been looking into the possibility of mixing Sputnik with AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Oxford University's shots. Dmitriev said the results of trials exploring the safety and efficacy of that combination were expected by the end of July.

Sputnik V vaccine has been registered in 67 countries globally with a total population of over 3.5 billion people, RDIF said in its statement.

Also Read: Serum Institute becomes 7th Indian partner to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

Also Read: ‘Sputnik V’s soft commercial launch not put on hold’: Dr Reddy’s