"[The] RDIF ... and Turkish pharmaceutical company Viscoran Ilac have agreed to cooperate on production of the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, in the country. To date, Viscoran Ilac has carried out the necessary studies for localisation of the product and aims to launch production in the country in the upcoming months at several facilities", the RDIF said in a press release.
According to the RDIF, technology transfer is being finalised with Turkey's CinnaGen Ilac, and negotiations with two more production facilities are in progress to increase overall capacity.
"In addition to production agreements, licensing processes as well as storage and distribution matters, the execution of some clinical studies on the product is also part of our cooperation with Russia for the Sputnik V vaccine. Our studies on this matter continue very successfully as well. We are very pleased to have contributed to such a valuable product that is discussed in the international arena", Viscoran Ilac Board of Directors Chairman Ozturk Oran said, as quoted in the press release.
In February, the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet published an interim analysis from Phase III trials of the Russian vaccine, showing its 91.6-percent efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19. The vaccine has already been approved in 60 countries, with a total population of about 3 billion.