The Government on Tuesday said that Russia has sought India’s help in the manufacturing of its Covid vaccine by Indian companies and conduct of Phase-III studies here.
“Also, India attaches high importance to the request from a special friend and on both fronts, there has been considerable progress.
“We are working with this vaccine candidate for manufacture as well as trial and regulatory facilitation, in the spirit of partnership and science for humanity. The outreach has been extended to the vaccine manufacturers in India,” said V.K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog at a press briefing here.
“About four of them have already come forward, the others are in talks with the Russian counterparts and the Government is facilitating that process of creating a connect. There may be specific outcomes very soon in that regard. India can manufacture that vaccine in large and significant quantities. On the regulatory front, Indian scientists have looked at the data. There would be a need for Phase III trials in normal course of things,” he said.
Sputnik V, an adenovirus vector-based vaccine, was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, along with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and was registered on August 11.
On its part, in India, three vaccines are in advanced stages. There are two indigenous vaccines being developed by Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research. The Serum Institute of India has also partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford.