China Biotech to Produce Russian COVID-19 Vaccine

One of China's leading biotechnology companies, Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech Co., Ltd., announced an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on March 29, 2021, to produce more than 60 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is an adenoviral-based vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The two-dose Sputnik V vaccine uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.

Guangdong Province-based Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene Technology provides professional outsourcing services of virus vector (including Adenovirus, Lentivirus, Poxviruses, Herpesvirus, Adeno-associated Virus, etc.) gene therapy drug and gene vaccines. It has established an advanced scale-preparation technology platform of viral vector gene therapy products, and develop a series of gene therapy products and gene vaccines for tumors, chronic infectious diseases, and inherited metabolic disorders based on the platform.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF, said in a related press statement, "The partnership with Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech for the production of Sputnik V in China will expand opportunities for the production of additional volumes of the Russian drug, for which demand is increasing worldwide."