CEO: Italy-made Sputnik V aimed for EU market, if approved
The head of a Swiss pharmaceutical company said hopes behind a deal with Russia to produce the Sputnik V vaccine in Italy are to sell it in the European Union, but several hurdles must first be overcome
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The head of a Swiss pharmaceutical company said Wednesday that hopes behind a deal with Russia to produce the Sputnik V vaccine in Italy are to sell it to EU countries, if regulators approve the jab.
“That is not the goal, it is a wish,’’ Adienne founder and president Antonio Francesco Di Naro told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The first agreement to make the Sputnik V in any EU country was signed Tuesday by Swiss-based Adienne Pharma & Biotech and the Russian Direct Investment Fund Production is slated for Adienne’s plant near Milan but Di Naro said the announcement that Adienne would produce 10 million doses this year, launching in July, was incorrect.
Adienne is in the process of acquiring the Russian technology, and will then start producing batches of vaccine that must be vetted by the Italian Medicines Agency before approval is granted for commercial production.
“This procedure requires months, or even more, because this is a biological product,” Di Naro said. “I cannot say when we will begin the production for the commercial batch.”
Eventual production levels will depend on market needs once production begins.
Adienne would need additional authorization from the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, before it can sell or distribute the vaccine throughout the EU. But the company could sell the vaccine it produced to non-EU countries as long as it obtains Italian regulatory approval, Di Naro said.
The EMA started a rolling review of the vaccine last week.
Di Naro said Adienne is being commissioned to produce the vaccine, but that it would be up to its Russian partners to negotiate eventual sales deals.
The Italian-Russian Chamber of commerce had put Adienne in touch with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the vaccine's production. investment fund.
Di Naro said Adienne has the necessary expertise needed to get the highest yield out of production, and that he doesn’t anticipate any problems scaling up production.
“We need to try to solve this problem of the very, very short availability of this kind of product on the market,” he said.