Covid 19: Centre allows export of Russia’s single-dose Sputnik Light
The Centre Government has allowed the export of Russia’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik Light, domestically produced here. Notably, the vaccine has not yet been approved for emergency use in India.
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Hetero Biopharma Limited, Indian drug firm, has been given permission to export 40 lakh doses of Sputnik Light to Russia, say sources.
Sputnik Light is the same as component-1 of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V that is being used in India’s anti-Covid inoculation programme after getting emergency use authorisation from India’s Drug Regulator in April.
The Russian ambassador had urged the Indian government to allow the export of Sputnik Light produced by Hetero Biopharma, one of the partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in the production of the jab, to his country till the vaccine gets emergency use authorisation from India’s drug regulator.
In a communication to the Centre, Russian Ambassador Nicholay Kudashev had stated that Hetero Biopharma Limited already has manufactured one million doses of Component 1 of the Sputnik V and two million doses of the Sputnik Light. However, the six-month shelf life of the vaccine may expire before its registration.
“The government has permitted Indian drug firm Hetero Biopharma to export 40 lakh doses of Sputnik Light to Russia. The decision was taken this week following detailed deliberations,” sources said.
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Notably, the DCGI had in September given permission to Dr Reddy’s Laboratory Limited to conduct phase-3 bridging trials of Sputnik Light in India.
The single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrated 79.4 percent efficacy according to analysed data taken from 28 days after the injection was administered as part of Russia’s mass vaccination programme between December 5, 2020 and April 15, 2021.
-PTC News with inputs from agencies
