India's inoculation drive to get big boost with single dose COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light

India’s inoculation drive against Covid-19 will be bolstered as the single-dose Sputnik Light will be rolled out in September. Panacea Biotec, which had earlier partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has submitted the dossier seeking emergency-use authorisation to India’s drug regulator.

The vaccine which is said to be available in limited quantities is expected to be priced around Rs 750, The Times of India (TOI) reported. So far, Sputnik vaccines available in India were being imported- rolled out by Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s, RDIF’s exclusive distribution partner for India.

In May, the Sputnik Light vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and backed by RDIF received emergency use authorisation in Russia.

Experts consider the vaccine more suitable as third-wave fears loom large and vaccination seems the only solution.

The Sputnik Light jab has demonstrated nearly 80% efficacy, according to analysed data taken 28 days after the injection was administered in a trial in Russia, an RDIF statement said.

Shortages in supply of the two-dose Sputnik V could be resolved as early as the month-end, with Dr Reddy’s ramping up supplies, sources told TOI.

In June, due to impacted imports, the full rollout of the Sputnik V vaccine was put on hold, limiting supply to the general public. However, around five lakh doses of Sputnik V’s component 2 vaccine, which have been imported, could be rolled out in India soon.

Dr Reddy’s spokesperson told TOI that they are working closely with partners in India for manufacturing readiness and they expect that locally manufactured doses are likely to be available from the September-October period.

Earlier in July, Panacea Biotec had announced the receipt of a manufacturing license to produce the Sputnik V vaccine at its Baddi plant in Himachal Pradesh

The batches manufactured at Baddi have successfully passed the checks for quality parameters both at the Gamaleya Center in Russia and at the Central Drug Laboratory, Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh).

Panacea will produce 100 million doses annually of the vaccine which will be distributed by Dr Reddy’s. India commenced its COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 this year. Till date, 52,95,82,956 vaccine doses have been administered so far including 57,31,574 in the last 24 hours.