Himachal-based Panacea Biotech gets nod to manufacture Sputnik V vaccine

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, July 3

The State Drug Licensing Authority on Saturday gave its nod to Panacea Biotech to manufacture Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V at its Baddi-based facility, making it the state’s first Covid vaccine to be manufactured in Himachal.

“Panacea Biotech has been given the nod to manufacture Covid-19  Sputnik V vaccine at its Malpur-based facility in the Baddi industrial area today,” Manish Kapoor, Deputy Drug Controller-cum-Licensing Authority, Baddi, said.

Notably, the firm was jointly inspected by the officials of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and State’s Drug Control Administration earlier. It had sought permission in form CT-23 to manufacture this vaccine from the state licensing authority.

The first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine produced at Panacea Biotec’s facility here will be shipped to the Russia’s Gamaleya Center for quality control. The company had earlier announced its plans to make test batches of 3 million vaccines here.

The production of Covid-19 vaccines at a time when the fear of the third wave is looming large will help vaccinate more people. The Russian Direct Investment Fund has partnered with several leading Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Panacea Biotech, to manufacture Sputnik V vaccines in India.

Notably, the Drug Controller General of India had granted the emergency use authorisation to Sputnik V on April 12 on the basis of clinical trials. The vaccine demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent in the interim analysis of the Phase-III trial.

The Himachal Pradesh’s pharmaceutical industry has remained at the forefront of manufacturing key Covid drugs like Remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, favipiravir, etc.