What is the status of the COVID vaccine tests being conducted by Reddy Labs for the Russian COVID vaccine?
Answer
Answer
Hyderabad-based Reddy Labs has already applied to the Drugs Controller General of India or the DCGI for approval to conduct phase-3 human clinical trials of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to be used to vaccinate against COVID-19 in India.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has collaborated with the Russian Direct Investment Fund or RDIF to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V as well as its distribution in India. However, the drug process in Russia has come in for a lot of global criticism as due process may not have been followed.
Subject to necessary regulatory approvals in India, the RDIF will supply to Reddy Labs a tpta; of 100 million doses of the vaccine. Reddy Labs will be conducting the phase-3 human clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India for larger usage.
In Russia, the phase-3 trial of Sputnik V which was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology and RDIF is underway since the beginning of September and nearly 40,000 subjects have already been tested.
Reddy Labs is not alone in this race. Two indigenous vaccine candidates developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and the one developed by Zydus Cadila are in phase 2 human trials.
Meanwhile, Serum Institute based out of Pune and owned by the Poonawala Family has partnered with AstraZeneca for Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate and conducting phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials in India.