Mumbai-based Wockhardt to manufacture Russian vaccines Sputnik V, Sputnik Light 

Mumbai-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt Limited has entered into an agreement with Enso Healthcare and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines Sputnik V and Sputnik Light. Wockhardt has entered into an agreement dated August 12, 2021 with Enso Healthcare DMCC and Human Vaccine LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RDIF to manufacture and supply Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines against COVID-19, as mentioned by the company in a filing.

Wockhardt will manufacture and supply 620 million doses of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light by June 2023. The company said that it will manufacture and supply 70-120 million doses up to June 30, 2022 and a further 500 million injections between July 2022 to June 2023, on the basis of certain conditions.

The contract has been awarded by Enso Healthcare that is based in Dubai, UAE.

The technology will be transferred from Human Vaccine to Wockhardt for the manufacturing of Sputnik V vaccine and the Sputnik Light vaccine against COVID-19.

India is the leading production hub for Sputnik V with RDIF signing agreements with pharmaceutical companies such as Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, Virchow Biotech and Morepen Laboratories for local production of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has said that Sputnik V is around 83 per cent effective against the Delta variant. "The Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates the most effective results on prevention, on fighting the Delta strain. The latest results indicate that the efficacy is about 83 per cent, this is already the Russian data, provided to us courtesy of our clinical colleagues," he said, further adding that the vaccine is completely safe and highly effective.

Also read: Sputnik V 83% effective against Delta variant: Russian health minister

Also read: Made in India Sputnik V vaccine to be available in Sept-Oct: Dr Reddy's