Russian-made Covid vaccine Sputnik Light has received permission for Phase 3 trials in India, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday. Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26)) of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.

The single-dose vaccine has shown 79.4% efficacy against the Covid infection twenty-eight days after administration. Its phase-3 trials have so far been conducted in Russia, the UAE and Ghana.

Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev in July had said the single-dose Sputnik Light Covid vaccine was expected to launch soon in India. 

"Sputnik V being part of the Indian vaccination campaign is gradually increasing. The launch of the Sputnik light vaccine is also expected soon," said Kudashev while speaking about the outcomes of the Russian-Indian foreign ministers’ talks in Moscow.

In August, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and global pharma giant Wockhardt Ltd partnered to produce and supply Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines. 

The agreement was reached under the aegis of Enso Healthcare (part of Enso Group), RDIF's coordination partner for sourcing Sputnik V vaccines in India.

Till last mont, Sputnik V vaccine was registered in 69 countries globally with a total population of over 3.7 billion people. The data obtained by regulators of Argentina, Serbia, Bahrain, Hungary, Mexico, San Marino, UAE, among other countries, demonstrates that Sputnik V is one of the safest and most effective vaccines against coronavirus.

Sputnik V demonstrated 83.1% efficacy against the Delta variant of Covid — higher than many other vaccines. The vaccine showed six times reduction of infection risk. Sputnik V is also 94.4% effective against hospitalisations, with 18 times reduction in such risk.

(With inputs from agencies)