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Stelis Biopharma to make 200 mn doses of Sputnik V Covid vaccine

The agreement was reached under the aegis of Enso Healthcare LLP (part of Enso Group), RDIF’s coordination partner for sourcing Sputnik V vaccines in India, according to the company statement

Updated on: Mar 19, 2021, 17:12:28 IST
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The maker of the Russian vaccine against Coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Sputnik V, said on Friday they have partnered with Indian pharmaceutical firm Stelis Biopharma to manufacture 200 million vaccine doses. With that, it is their fourth partnership in India for locally manufacturing the Russian vaccine that has shown an efficacy of 91.6%. Two hundred million doses are sufficient to vaccinate 100 million people.

A vial of the Sputnik V vaccine. (File photo)
A vial of the Sputnik V vaccine. (File photo)

“We are delighted to announce our agreement with Stelis Biopharma for a significant capacity of Sputnik V. The Russian vaccine with efficacy of 91.6% is one of the best vaccines against Coronavirus in the world. The significant vaccine volumes, which will be produced jointly with Stelis, will help to widen access to the vaccine on a global scale,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

The partnership brings together Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and Stelis Biopharma Pvt. Ltd., the biopharmaceutical division of Strides, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in India. The agreement was reached under the aegis of Enso Healthcare LLP (part of Enso Group), RDIF’s coordination partner for sourcing Sputnik V vaccines in India, according to the company statement.

Sputnik V, a two-dose vaccine, which is world’s first registered vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection, is now approved for use in at least 50 countries. It demonstrates a 91.6% efficacy rate as confirmed by a peer-reviewed study published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, which found the vaccine to offer consistent and strong protective effect across all participant age groups.

The vaccine supplies are likely to begin from the Q3 of 2021. Stelis will also continue to work with the RDIF to provide additional supply volumes beyond the initial agreement.

“We are delighted to partner with RDIF to make a substantial contribution towards providing global supply of the Sputnik V vaccine which is one of the most efficacious approved vaccines commercially available. We will also work with RDIF to increase the availability of the vaccine beyond our initial commitments,” said Arun Kumar, founder of Strides group.

  • Rhythma Kaul
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rhythma Kaul

    Rhythma Kaul is the national health editor of the Hindustan Times. She has been reporting on public health, medicine, and medical research, with a particular focus on how government decisions and health system reforms shape people’s lives. Rhythma has over 25 years of journalistic experience. She joined Hindustan Times in 2008, and has since covered everything from pandemics and infectious diseases to cutting‑edge medical research and climate‑related health challenges. Her stories routinely track the work of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, department of pharmaceuticals, and key national health programmes, making complex medical science and policy accessible to a wide audience. One of her prominent news breaks has been the 2012 Baby Falak case: A two-year-old brutally battered baby girl was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi with severe head injuries, multiple fractures, human bite marks, and burns. The police investigation revealed this to be a case of multi-state human-trafficking racket. She was profiled by The Wall Street Journal for breaking this story. Rhythma holds a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Prior to Hindustan Times, she worked with the India Today Group. Rhythma can be contacted at rhythma.kaul@hindustantimes.com. Her X handle is @RamblingBrook.Read More