Dr. Reddy’s, Russia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Start Clinical Trials For Sputnik V Vaccine In India
RDIF announced the second interim clinical trial data, which showed over 95% efficacy for the second dose of the vaccine.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. and the Russian Direct Investment Fund on Tuesday announced start of adaptive phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India after receiving necessary clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory, Himachal Pradesh.
The Indian drugmaker, in a release, said this will be a multicenter and randomized controlled study, which will include safety and immunogenicity study. The clinical trials are being conducted by JSS Medical Research as a clinical research partner.
Further, Dr. Reddy’s has partnered with the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Department of Biotechnology for advisory support and to use BIRAC's clinical trial centres for the vaccine, it said.
Recently, RDIF announced the second interim analysis of clinical trial data, which showed 91.4% efficacy for the vaccine on day 28 after the first dose and vaccine efficacy of over 95%, 42 days after the first dose. Currently, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in Phase III of Sputnik V clinical trials, out of which over 22,000 have been vaccinated with the first dose and more than 19,000 with both the first and second doses of the vaccine.
GV Prasad, Co-chairman and Managing Director, Dr. Reddys Laboratories said, "This is another significant step as we continue to collaborate with multiple entities along with the government bodies to fast-track the process for launching the vaccine in India," he said.
"We are working towards making the vaccine available with a combination of import and indigenous production model."
In September 2020, Dr. Reddy’s and RDIF entered into a partnership to conduct clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and the rights for distribution of the first 100 million doses in India.
On Aug. 11, 2020, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the Worlds first registered vaccine against Covid-19 based on the human adenoviral vector platform.