Third Covid vaccine in India priced at Rs 995.4 a dose

In a first in India, Pharma company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, the Indian partner of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said it has commenced Sputnik V’s India rollout with the first dose being administered in Hyderabad on Friday as part of a pilot project.

Sputnik V, which has an efficiency of 91.6 per cent, is the third vaccine to be approved for use in India, the other two being Covishield and Covaxin. The vaccine is expected to fill the supply side to give a fillip to halted inoculation drive in many States.

The soft launch took place, a day after the Centre had said the vaccine is likely to be available in the market from next week. The first consignment of imported doses of the Sputnik V vaccine had landed in India on May 1.

The company also said the imported vaccine has been priced at Rs 948 per dose plus an additional 5 per cent GST to be charged on it, putting the price around Rs 995.4, just under Rs 1,000 a dose.

However, the doses of the vaccine that will be made in India are expected to be cheaper. “Further consignments of imported doses are expected over the upcoming months. Subsequently, supply of the Sputnik V vaccine will commence from Indian manufacturing partners,” said Dr Reddy’s.

The possibility of Sputnik as India’s first single-dose vaccine “depends on approval from the regulator and on the dialogue which we have with them and on the guidance we receive from the regulator,” said the company.

For now, the two-dose Sputnik V will be rolled out at 35 centres across India. The first lot of Sputnik vaccines will be imported from Russia, fully developed and ready to administer.

It also added it is working closely with its six manufacturing partners to fulfil regulatory requirements to ensure a smooth and timely supply. The country is looking to produce 15.6 crore doses of the Russian Covid vaccine. “Its production will begin in July and it is estimated that 15.6 crore doses will be manufactured in that period,” Paul had said.