Drug firm Gland Pharma on Tuesday said it has entered into an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to supply up to 252 million doses of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.
The company "will be leveraging its manufacturing capabilities for the production of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine," Gland Pharma said in a regulatory filing.
The agreement will see the company utilising its Drug Substance and Drug Product facilities at its sites in Hyderabad. The production is expected to commence from the third quarter of 2021 for estimated delivery starting from the fourth quarter of 2021, it added.
"Under the terms of the agreement, Gland Pharma will first undertake technology transfer of the drug substance to its manufacturing facilities," the filing said.
After successful technology transfer, the company will then undertake manufacturing of drug substance and drug product filling into vials under aseptic conditions, it added.
The company's expertise in manufacturing sterile injectables at a significant scale will support in establishing a stable supply of Covid-19 vaccine, Gland Pharma said.
Earlier in November 2020, Russia's sovereign wealth fund had said in a statement that RDIF and pharma firm Hetero have agreed to produce over 100 million doses per year in India of the Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. According to a report in the Business Standard, Bengaluru-based Strides is also in the fray for a contract to produce the vaccine.
In November, RDIF CEO Kirill Dimitriev said that the plan was to supply one billion doses globally through manufacturing partnerships, the report said.
Dimitriev said that RDIF had forged partnerships in India, China, Brazil, South Korea, Hungary, and some other countries.
The RDIF has indicated that to make the logistics easy, a variant is being developed that would remain stable at 2-8 degree Celsius, the report said.
Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories in February this year had said that it has approached Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V.
Shares of Gland Pharma closed at Rs 2,718.65 per scrip on BSE, up 6.95 per cent from its previous close.
(With web desk inputs)