poornima lagadapati
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The Russian government has reached out to the Indian dispensation, seeking a collaboration on the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, and also expressed its willingness to share data, ThePrint has learnt.
This comes even as the Indian embassy in Moscow is engaging with the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which has developed the vaccine, to get safety and efficacy data on the vaccine trials.
Sources in the government told ThePrint Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev has formally reached the office of the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India professor K. VijayRaghavan, secretary DBT (Department of Biotechnology), Ranu Swarup and secretary, department of health research, Dr Balram Bhargava, who is also the director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research.
“The Russian ambassador in India is engaging with the offices of the principal scientific advisor and the secretaries of the department of health research and department of biotechnology. The Russian government is keen to collaborate with India on the vaccine. They have also actively shared a lot of information and data on Sputnik V but most of the safety and efficacy data that we are looking for, is yet to be shared,” a health ministry official said.
“Our embassy in Moscow is also trying to get the data and are in touch with the Gamaleya institute,” he added.
However, there is no application yet for holding trials in India and the central government, although open to the idea, is treading cautiously until crucial data is available.
“Somebody has to apply for holding a trial in India whether the institute does it or some other company. That has not happened,” the official added.
This comes even as the Indian embassy in Moscow is engaging with the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which has developed the vaccine, to get safety and efficacy data on the vaccine trials.
Sources in the government told ThePrint Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev has formally reached the office of the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India professor K. VijayRaghavan, secretary DBT (Department of Biotechnology), Ranu Swarup and secretary, department of health research, Dr Balram Bhargava, who is also the director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research.
“The Russian ambassador in India is engaging with the offices of the principal scientific advisor and the secretaries of the department of health research and department of biotechnology. The Russian government is keen to collaborate with India on the vaccine. They have also actively shared a lot of information and data on Sputnik V but most of the safety and efficacy data that we are looking for, is yet to be shared,” a health ministry official said.
“Our embassy in Moscow is also trying to get the data and are in touch with the Gamaleya institute,” he added.
However, there is no application yet for holding trials in India and the central government, although open to the idea, is treading cautiously until crucial data is available.
“Somebody has to apply for holding a trial in India whether the institute does it or some other company. That has not happened,” the official added.