Dr Reddy's, RDIF begin clinical trials for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in India

Dr Reddy's and RDIF had entered into a partnership to conduct clinical trials and rights for distribution of the first 100 million doses in India. Phase 2/3 clinical trials for Sputnik V, the first registered Covid-19 vaccine from Russia, commenced in India on 1^st December. Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced that they have commenced adaptive Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Sputnik V vaccine in India for Covid-19 after receiving the necessary clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli. This will be a multicentre and randomised controlled study, which will include a 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 (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), for advisory support and to use BIRAC's clinical trial centres for the vaccine.

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector platform that had proven safe and effective with no long-term side effects in more than 250 clinical trials globally conducted during the past two decades (while the history of use of human adenoviruses in vaccine development started in 1953). Recently, the 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 clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, out of which over 22,000 have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and more than 19,000 -- with both the first and second doses of the vaccine.

GV Prasad, Co-chairman and Managing Director, Dr Reddy's Laboratories stated that, ‘This is another significant step as the company continue to collaborate with multiple entities along with the government bodies to fast-track the process for launching the vaccine in India. The company is 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 August 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 World's first registered vaccine against Covid-19 based on the human adenoviral vector platform. This Drug would be highly successful in preventing Covid-19 infection, if trials would be successful, it would be the big achievement for the company & will made a remarkable growth in the pharmaceutical industry.