Drug company Shilpa Medicare on Monday confirmed its arm has joined into a definitive agreement with Dr Reddy’s laboratories for manufacturing of Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V.
“The company, via its wholly owned subsidiary Shilpa Biologicals Pvt Ltd (SBPL), has enterend into three-year definitive agreement with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for production-supply of Sputnik V vaccine from its integrated biologics R&D cum manufacturing centre at Dharwas, Karnataka,” Shilpa Medicare stated in a regulatory filing.
The targeted production of the dual vector Sputnik
V for the first 12 months is 50 million doses (50 million of component 1 and 50 million of component 2), from the date of start of commercial production, the firm added.
Shilpa Medicare said Dr Reddy's would help the transfer of the sputnik technology to SBPL.
As per the agreement, SBPL will be answerable for manufacture of the vaccine, while Dr Reddy's is responsible for distribution/marketing of the vaccine in its marketing territories.
Shilpa Medicare uttered the firms are also exploring the possibility to manufacture Sputnik Light, a single dose version of the vaccine in the near forthcoming.
Reddy's Laboratories on Friday soft-launched imported COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, with Deepak Sapra, a senior executive of the drug-maker, taking the first shot.
The vaccine is priced at Rs 948, with five per cent GST per dose (retail price of Rs 995.40).
The initial consignment of imported doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) landed in India on May 1, and acknowledged regulatory clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory.
