India's Dr. Reddy's seeks emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has sought emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in the country, the drugmaker said on Friday.

Dr. Reddy's had been working with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to hold small domestic clinical studies of Sputnik V, which has proved 91.6% effective against Covid-19 based on late-stage trials in Russia.

The drugmaker said it would present the safety profile of a mid-stage study and interim data from a late-stage trial, which is expected to complete by Feb. 21.

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Sputnik V, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya institute and marketed abroad by the RDIF, has already been registered in nearly 30 countries and will have the highest efficacy of vaccines currently cleared for emergency use in India if approved in the Asian country.

For comparison, Bharat Biotech has yet to release efficacy data for its vaccine COVAXIN, while AstraZeneca's vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, has an efficacy of around 60%.

Shares of Dr.Reddy's reversed course to trade 1.5% higher after the news. They had earlier fallen as much as 1.9%.