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Coronavirus pandemic

Russian Sputnik V vaccine to be available in India in March-April

The cost of the vaccine for India has not been determined yet but the company will work on making it accessible

NEW DELHI, February 4. /TASS/. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus infection will become available in India this March or April, Deepak Sapra, representative of India’s Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, told journalists.

"I believe the vaccine should be available in India from March-April," the NDTV channel quoted him as saying.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories together with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is conducting Phase Three clinical trials of this preparation in India. According to the representative, the results of trials on 20,000 people demonstrate that the preparation is effective for different age groups. For the age group of 60 and over, the vaccine demonstrated the efficacy of 91.8% which proves its consistency, he noted.

The cost of the vaccine for India has not been determined yet but the company will work on making it accessible. "We are working closely with the government and our partners in the private sector <...> accessibility and affordability will be the mantra," he pointed out.

Phase Two of clinical trials of the Russian preparation in India concluded in December. According to the representative, the data from these trials showed "excellent safety and immunogenicity" of the preparation. Phase Three trials which are currently underway will be completed in February when the company will apply for a permit with the national drug regulator for emergency use. He also added that the vaccine will be available both in liquid and powder form.

On February 2, The Lancet medical journal published results of Phase Three clinical trials of the Russian vaccine according to which it is one of the safest and the most effective worldwide. On August 11, 2020, Russia became the first worldwide to register the vaccine against the coronavirus which was named Sputnik V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry. Sputnik V is a human adenovirus-based vector vaccine. The Sputnik V vaccine has already been registered in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, the UAE, Iran, the Republic of Guinea, Tunisia and Armenia.

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