"On 23 September, 2020, biotechnology company Biocad signed an agreement with the Russian Health Ministry's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology on industrial production of the vaccine. Biocad has become an industrial partner of the research centre and will ensure mass production of the Sputnik V vaccine," Biocad said.
Biocad plans to launch the production of a dry, lyophilised vaccine, in addition to the liquid vaccine, as there are no special requirements for storage during the dry vaccine's transportation.
"Production of the dry vaccine was temporarily frozen, as the centre does not have spray-freeze drying capacities sufficient for supplying the country with a significant amount [of the vaccine]. Now that Biocad, which has great lyophilisation capacities, has joined us, we hope that the needed amounts of the dry vaccine will be produced," the head of the Gamaleya institute, Alexander Gintsburg, said, as quoted by Biocad.
World's First Anti-COVID Vaccine
On 11 August, Russia registered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, named Sputnik V and developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, following two successful phases of clinical trials, which led to all the volunteers developing an immunity against the virus.
Sputnik V is currently undergoing post-registration trials, with over 42,000 volunteers participating in the testing worldwide.
