India Approves Russia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V For Emergency Use

Russia's Covid vaccine Sputnik V has been recommended for use in India by a committee of experts as the country battles a record spike in virus cases in the country. If approved by regulator DCGI, this will be the third vaccine to be used in India after Serum Institute of India's Covishield - developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca - and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) went through an application turned in by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories which sought emergency use authorization for Sputnik V.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will take a final call on the recommendation. If approved, it will be the third Covid-19 vaccine to be



available in India.

The vaccine would be imported from Russia for emergency use in the country, they said.

In September last year, Dr. Reddy's partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V and for its distribution rights in India.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has already given the emergency use authorization for two Covid-19 vaccines -- Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Covishield of Oxford-AstraZeneca, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India in Pune.

Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6 percent in the interim analysis of phase 3 clinical trial, which included data on 19,866 volunteers in Russia.