Partnership between Russia and India in the fight against COVID has already demonstrated significant results, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) strives to expand it through providing the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine and Sputnik M vaccine (for adolescents).
The Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which is one of the safest and most effective vaccines in the world (as demonstrated by the real-world data from Hungary, San Marino, Argentina, Serbia, Bahrain, Mexico, UAE and others) is already used in India following an emergency use authorization in April 2021. Sputnik V became the first foreign-made vaccine used in India.
Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 countries with total population of over 4 bn people. To facilitate the necessary production capacities, RDIF has reached agreements with the leading Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Serum Institute of India – the world’s largest vaccine producer, as well as Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, Virchow Biotech and Morepen. Today India is the leading production hub for Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines.
Currently, RDIF is actively cooperating with India’s regulatory authorities on registration of Sputnik Light (the one-shot vaccine based on human adenovirus serotype 26, the first component of the Sputnik V) as a standalone vaccine and a universal booster and expects it to be authorized in the country soon. A major partner of RDIF, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, has conducted additional clinical trials of Sputnik Light in India. Positive data from these trials has also been presented to India’s regulator.
One-shot Sputnik Light is a highly effective vaccine: the latest findings by the Gamaleya Center based on data from 28,000 subjects in Moscow have demonstrated that Sputnik Light administered standalone has 70% efficacy against infection from the Delta variant of coronavirus during the first three months after vaccination. The vaccine is 75% effective among subjects under the age of 60. Efficacy of Sputnik Light as a booster against Delta variant for other vaccines will be close to the efficacy against the Delta variant of the Sputnik V vaccine: over 83% against infection and over 94% against hospitalization.
Sputnik Light has proven to be safe and highly effective by real-world vaccination data. In particular, the vaccine has demonstrated efficacy of between 78.6-83.7% among the elderly as confirmed by the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Paraguay’s Ministry of Health also found Sputnik Light to be 93.5% effective during the country’s ongoing vaccination campaign.
Interim results of the study in Argentina on heterologous regimens combining Sputnik Light and vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino have shown Sputnik Light is an effective universal booster for these vaccines.
Results of a separate joint clinical trial of a combination of Sputnik Light with the AstraZeneca vaccine have demonstrated that it induces strong immunity and has a high safety profile.
AstraZeneca vaccine is produced in India under the Covishield brand and Sputnik Light could be successfully applied as a booster in partnership with Serum Institute of India, which already produces the two vaccines.
RDIF has also provided India’s regulator with documents for registration of Sputnik M – the vaccine for adolescents aged 12-17. Russia’s Health Ministry registered Sputnik M on November 24, 2021. It has become a new member of the Sputnik vaccines family and is offered to international markets joining Sputnik V and Sputnik Light.
Subject to positive decision of India’s authorities, Sputnik M could become the first registered vaccine for adolescents in the country and make an important contribution in protecting the younger population.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, commented:
“Russia and India have joined forces since the beginning of the pandemic, with this strategic partnership including production of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines. A number of agreements with partners in India have helped RDIF to significantly increase our production capabilities. We are ready to offer the Sputnik Light vaccine and the Sputnik M vaccine for adolescents to support strong herd immunity in India and continue saving millions of lives.”