South Korean Company to Begin Producing Russia's Sputnik V in May, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hankook Korus Pharm, a subsidiary of South Korean biotech firm GL Rapha, will start manufacturing Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in May, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, citing industry sources.

According to the agency, Hankook Korus will produce 150 million vaccine doses at a local factory.

The agency's sources noted that the produced doses will be both for export and for use in South Korea.

South Korea is at the forefront among the RDIF's foreign vaccine production partners as two other consortium — GL Rapha and ISU ABXIS and another by pharmaceutical company Huons Global — already inked deals with the RDIF on technology transfer and production of the vaccine.

In November, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and GL Rapha agreed to produce 150 million vaccine doses per year in South Korea. In February, GL Rapha also finished organizing a consortium, which includes eight major pharmaceutical companies, to produce Sputnik V in the country. The consortium is expected to produce 500 million doses.