Pakistan’s AGP pharma gets go-ahead to import Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

KARACHI: Pakistani pharmaceutical company AGP Limited (AGP) has said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had authorized it to import and introduce Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan.
According to peer-reviewed results from its late-stage clinical trial published in The Lancent international medical journal on Tuesday, the Sputnik V vaccine is 91.6% effective in preventing people from developing COVID-19.
The vaccine has been approved by 15 countries, including Argentina, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan “on February 1 has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ combined vector vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus (‘Sputnik V’ or the ‘vaccine’) to the company,” an AGP notification on the Pakistan Stock Exchange website, dated February 2, said.
“The company has also been authorized to import and introduce the vaccine in Pakistan and is now making efforts to ensure availability of sufficient supplies on an emergency basis in order to play a key role in supporting the government’s objective of vaccinating the masses.”
Russia approved the vaccine in August, before the large-scale trial had begun, saying it was the first country to do so for a COVID-19 shot. It named it Sputnik V, in homage to the world’s first satellite, launched by the Soviet Union.
Small numbers of frontline health workers began receiving it soon after and a large-scale roll out started in December, though access was limited to those in specific professions, such as teachers, medical workers and journalists.
In January, the vaccine was offered to all Russians.