Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has inked a pact with Delhi-based pharmaceutical company Mankind Pharma for marketing and distribution of its Sputnik V vaccine, two sources aware of the matter were quoted as saying by livemint.com.
According to sources, the cooperation agreement has been signed for sales and distribution of much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine with RDIF by Mankind pharma. An announcement to this effect is likely to be made next week.
Earlier on Saturday, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said it along with RDIF has received approval from the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) to conduct phase 2/3 human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India. The Hyderabad-based drug major said that this will be a multi-centre and randomised controlled study, which will include safety and immunogenicity check.
Last month, Dr Reddy's and RDIF (Russian sovereign wealth fund) had entered into a partnership to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine and its distribution in India.
As part of the partnership, RDIF shall supply 100 million doses of the vaccine to Dr Reddy's upon regulatory approval in the country.
On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19 based on the human adenoviral vectors platform.
Sputnik V is currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials in Russia and the proposed number of subjects is 40,000. Additionally, phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine has commenced in the UAE last week.
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