Russia to supply 100 million doses of virus vaccine to Hyderabad-based drug company

TIL Desk/World/Moscow/ Russia’s sovereign wealth fund will supply 100 million doses of its potential coronavirus vaccine to Indian drug company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, the fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow speeds up plans to distribute its shot abroad.

The deal for its Sputnik-V vaccine candidate comes after the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) reached agreements with Indian manufacturers to produce 300 million doses of the shot in India, also a major consumer of Russian oil and arms.

The agreement brings the total number of doses Russia has so far announced that it will supply abroad to just over 200 million – half to Latin America and half to India. RDIF has said it has received requests totalling 1 billion doses.

Deliveries to India, which has a population of more than 1.3 billion, could begin in late 2020, RDIF said, adding this was subject to the completion of trials and Sputnik-V’s registration by regulatory authorities in India. Phase III trials, involving at least 40,000 people, are ongoing in Russia. Initial results are expected in October or November, RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev has said.