Why DCGI Refused to Grant Emergency-use Authorisation to Sputnik Light?
New Delhi: Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has refused to grant emergency-use authorisation to single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik-Light while ruling out the need for the conduct of the phase-3 trial of the Russian vaccine in the country. Indias drug regulator had last month granted permission for restricted emergency use of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V with certain conditions. Also Read - Uttar Pradesh Lockdown: Noida Market Associations Urge Authorities to Impose Strict Measures to Control Overcrowding  Sputnik-Light is the same as the component-1 of Sputnik V and as its safety and immunogenicity data in the Indian population has already been generated in a trial here, there seems to be inadequate data and justification for conducting a separate, similar trial, said the Subject Expert Committee (SEC). Also Read - India Will Accept Sputnik Lights Safety Data From Russia, No Need For Phase 3 Trials: Dr Reddys  The recommendations of the SEC, uploaded on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) website on Thursday, said that Dr Reddys Laboratories had submitted a proposal to the DCGI seeking market authorisation of Sputnik-Light, along with the interim safety and efficacy data generated from the phase 1/2 clinical trials in Russia, and presented the protocol for conducting the phase-3 clinical trial of the vaccine in India before the committee. Also Read - Karnataka Makes Negative RT-PCR Certificate Mandatory for Kerala Travellers | Other Important Details Here  The SEC of the CDSCO, which deliberated on the application, noted that Sputnik-Light is the same as the component-1 of Sputnik V.  Furthermore, the firm has already generated the safety and immunogenicity data of the component-1 in the country. The committee also noted that the phase-3 efficacy trial is ongoing in Russia and the efficacy data is yet to be generated. After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended that the firm should present the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy data of the phase-3 clinical trial of Sputnik-Light that is being carried out in Russia for considering the proposal for the grant of MA (market authorisation) in the country. Further, as the safety and immunogenicity data of the component-1 in Indian population has already been generated in the country in another trial, there seems to be inadequate data and justification in conducting a separate, similar trial, the recommendations read. In a statement, a spokesperson of the Dr Reddys Laboratories said: In view of the fact that (1) Sputnik-Light is the first-dose component of Sputnik V and Dr Reddys has already generated the safety and immunogenicity data on the first-dose component in India through its clinical trial and (2) a phase-3 efficacy trial is currently underway in Russia on Sputnik-Light, the SEC recommended that: Dr Reddys should submit the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy data from the phase-3 clinical trial of Sputnik-Light in Russia to the SEC for its consideration of Market Authorisation of Sputnik-Light in India. Further, the SEC also observed that in view of the safety and immunogenicity data already generated by Dr Reddys in India on the first-dose component of Sputnik V (in other words, Sputnik-Light), there was no need for a separate phase-3 trial of Sputnik-Light in India. (With Inputs From Agencies)