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Indian drugmaker enters into partnership to produce 200 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Mar 19, 2021, 04:30 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs

An Indian drugmaker has partnered with Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developer on Friday to produce 200 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in a statement confirmed its partnership with Strides Pharma Science's unit Stelis Biopharma "to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine".  

RDIF also said that Stelin will work with the Russian wealth fund for further supplies "beyond the initial agreement".

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RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said that the "significant vaccine volumes" that will be produced by Stelis "will help widen access to the vaccine on a global scale".

The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs. 

Sputnik V, named after the Soviet-era satellite, has been approved by 22 nations so far. 

However, RDIF has said that 52 countries have approved the use of the Russian vaccine. 

Moscow registered the vaccine in August last year before conducting large-scale clinical trials, but leading medical journal The Lancet has since said it is safe and has an efficacy of more than 90 per cent.

India is the world's biggest vaccine producer and currently supplying several countries with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses.