Clinical trial of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to begin in India this month

Clinical trials of Sputnik V, Russia’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, will begin in India this month, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev told Russia’s Sputnik News on Monday.

Clinical trials will begin this month in four other countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Philippines and Brazil.

“The post-registration studies involving more than 40,000 people started in Russia on August 26, before AstraZeneca started its Phase 3 trial in the US with 30,000 participants. Clinical trials in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Philippines, India and Brazil will begin this month,” said Dmitriev.

The preliminary results of the Phase 3 trial will be published in October-November.

Sputnik V, the vaccine jointly developed by RDIF and the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia on August 11. 

Russia was in close dialogue with the Indian government and leading drug manufactures regarding the localisation of production of Sputnik V vaccine in India, ANI reported.

Also read: ‘India in talks with WHO over COVAX deal’: Report

“India has historically been a very important partner of Russia. India is one of the leading countries in production. Around 60% of all the vaccines in the world are produced in India. We are in close dialogue with the corresponding ministries and the India government and the leading manufacturer of the country regarding localisation of production of Sputnik V vaccine in India. And we have achieved certain agreements with the leading companies,” Dmitriev told ANI.

He said that from the very beginning India started asking questions how our vaccine works. Dmitriev appreciated India’s “well- balanced approach” towards the vaccine and that it “did not try to attack our vaccine but try to understand it.”

He recognised India’s “potential to become one of the support for the production of the vaccine not only in Indian markets but for other countries too.”

On September 4, medical journal The Lancet published the results of clinical trials of Phase I-II of Sputnik V, demonstrating its safety and efficacy.