SII to produce Russian vaccine Sputnik V at its facilities from September

The cultivation process has started after Drug Controller General of India’s approval for import.

On July 13, Pune-based biopharmaceuticals company Serum  Institute of India (SII) and Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF (Russian Direct Investment Fund) jointly stated that SII is set to produce the Sputnik V at its facilities in September 2021. As per the statement, cell and vector samples have been received by SII already from the Gamaleya Centre.

Moreover, RDIF informed about their aim to produce over 300 million doses of the Russian vaccine in India every year.

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SII’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adar Poonawalla added that he was delighted to partner with RDIF for manufacturing the Sputnik vaccine. “We hope to make millions of doses in the coming months with trial batches starting in the month of September“, he continued.

In addition, he talked about how critical it was to make Sputnik V vaccine accessible across India and world due to its “high efficacy” and “good safety profile.” Considering the virus’ uncertainty, he said it was essential for international institutions as well as governments to collaborate and “further bolster up our fight against the pandemic.”

Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of RDIF stated that its “strategic” partnership with SII is a major step in substantially increasing its production capabilities along with demonstrating a perfect example of joining forces and expertise to save lives in India and the world.