An Iranian pharmaceutical company has started manufacturing Russia’s flagship coronavirus vaccine as a top official defends protectionism applied to government’s vaccine supply policy which barred foreign manufacturers from launching clinical trials in Iran.
Vials of Sputnik V vaccine produced in Iran were unveiled on Saturday in a ceremony held in the headquarters of Actover Company located 30 kilometers to the west of the capital Tehran.
Actover will produce two million doses of Sputnik V per month, according to a company official who said that the firm had obtained all certificates needed to produce the vaccine inside Iran, including those required by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute.
To further boost the supplies, Iranian health ministry authorities have also signed deals with Gamaleya and government agencies in Russia to launch local manufacturing of the vaccine by another Iranian pharmaceutical company.
Iran has scaled up production for its home-made vaccines while also using supplies from China and COVAX, a project sponsored by the World Health Organization.