Drug maker company Dr Reddy, who is conducting trials of Russia’s covid-19 vaccine candidate in India, on Wednesday informed that it will roll out preliminary trials. As of now, the late-stage trials are expected to be completed as soon as March 21, it said.
Chief Executive Officer Erez Israeli, in a statement, said that mid-stage trials of the vaccine are scheduled to be conducted in next few weeks and will most likely be completed by end of December.
“(Phase 3 trial) can be over as fast as the end of March, but it could go into April or May,” Israeli said. He further added that the complete timeline will depend on the outcomes of Phase 2 trial results and approvals from the concerned authorities.
Dr. Reddy had signed a deal with Russian Direct Investment Fund(RDIF) in September to conduct clinical trials of its most touted vaccine, Sputnik V. In October, the drugmaker got approval from DCGI to conduct late-stage trials of the vaccine in the country.
As part of the partnership, RDIF shall supply 100 million doses of its indigenous vaccine to Dr Reddy’s after regulatory approval from India
The company will conduct the mid stage trial among 100 participants and final stage trials among 1,500 people.
Meanwhile, covid-19 situation in India has shown imporvement in the month of October, specially in last two weeks. However, with winter approaching and poor AQI, it is expected that outbreak will become vulnerable in the country.
Currently, as many as 8 million people have tested positive for the covid-19 infection in India. While the situation may have shown improvement, it is important to take extra care during this festive season.
Sputnik V developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology became world’s first registered vaccine for covid-19 after approval from Ministry of Health of Russia.
The vaccine is currently in late-stage trials in Russia.
