South Korea Authorized to Produce Russian COVID-19 Vaccines

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and South Korea-based GL Rapha (Hankook Korus Pharm Co., Ltd) announced the issuance of a GMP certificate by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia to produce Sputnik vaccines in Korea.

This is the first time a foreign production partner of RDIF obtained a Russian GMP certificate.

In a press release, Whang Jae Gan, CEO of Hankook Korus Pharm Co, commented, "It is our honor to be the first partner outside Russia to obtain the Russian GMP certificate for production Sputnik Vaccines."

"From the humanitarian perspective, our greatest goal is mass production and widespread use of Sputnik Vaccines in many countries."

"Hankook Korus Pharm Co., Ltd. has already finished preparing commercial amounts of Sputnik Vaccines for the shipment."

The RDIF and GL Rapha have agreed to produce over 150 million Sputnik V vaccines per year.

Sputnik V is a vector vaccine based on adenovirus DNA, in which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus gene is integrated.

Adenovirus is used as a "container" to deliver the coronavirus gene to cells and start synthesizing the new coronavirus's envelope proteins, "introducing" the immune system to a potential enemy.