Raichur-headquartered Shilpa Medicare has signed a three-year agreement with Dr Reddy’s to produce Sputnik V, the company announced on Monday. Shilpa Medicare’s wholly-owned subsidiary Shilpa Biologicals Private Limited (SBPL) tied up with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) to produce the vaccine from its integrated biologics R&D cum manufacturing centre at Dharwad. It plans to produce 50 million doses within the first 12 months. “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,” Shilpa Medicare said.
Dr Reddy’s has tied up with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the development of the vaccine and distribution. According to Shilpa Medicare, DRL will facilitate the transfer of the Sputnik technology. “Under the agreement, SBPL will be responsible for manufacture of the vaccine, while DRL is responsible for distribution/marketing of the vaccine in its marketing territories,” it said.
It added that the two companies are also exploring the option to manufacture single-dose vaccine Sputnik Light. “The company views biologics as a strategic growth area and has made significant investments in setting up a high-end, flexible biologics facility in Dharwad to cater to the requirements of the
fast-growing biologics field, that includes the adenoviral, subunit and DNA vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins,” Shilpa Medicare said.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund has tie-ups with five other Indian drug firms to manufacture the vaccine.
DRL on Friday soft-launched imported COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V. The vaccine is priced at Rs 948, with 5% GST per dose (retail price of Rs 995.40). The second consignment of 60,000 doses of the vaccine landed in Hyderabad on Saturday, May 16.
By mid-June, Dr Reddy's expects stocks for commercial sales from RDIF and the company is in discussions with a couple of State governments and the Centre for the supply of the vaccine, he added.
"Local manufacturing is expected to give us the vaccine for commercial usage from July timeframe.. after that it will steadily ramp up over the next few months," he said.