The Ministry of Health of Morocco is considering the issue of registering the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 “Sputnik V” produced by the N.I. N.F. Gamalei. In the future, it is assumed that the drug will be supplied to the kingdom. Artem Tsinamdzgvrishvili, the trade representative of the Russian Federation in Morocco, announced this in an interview with TASS on Friday, November 20.
According to the interlocutor of the agency, “the estimated volume of supplies of the Russian vaccine at the initial stage may allow to vaccinate more than 20% of the population of Morocco.”
Tsinamdzgvrishvili added that the Moroccan pharmaceutical company Galenica became the local partner in promoting the vaccine on the country’s market, which in September 2020 signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the supply of Sputnik V to the kingdom.
According to the sales representative, Galenica has a well-developed industrial infrastructure and will be able to ensure not only the promotion of the vaccine in Morocco, but also its entry into the markets of other African countries, where the company has long-standing business ties and contacts. In the long term, the enterprise is ready to receive technologies and organize the production of a Russian vaccine in Morocco.
In 2018, Galenica received a Russian GMP certificate (confirms that the manufacturer of medicines complies with the requirements of good manufacturing practice and that the production process at the enterprise complies with all the requirements of the international standard).
On the eve of the manufacturers of the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 “Sputnik V” submitted an application to the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the certification of the drug.
On November 18, WHO Representative in Russia Melita Vujnovich said that WHO is optimistic about the recommendation of a Russian vaccine against coronavirus and an appropriate decision can be made in the near future.
The first coronavirus vaccine in Russia and the world was registered on August 11. The Sputnik V drug was developed by the specialists of the Gamaleya Center. The Russian Ministry of Health has already launched the vaccine into production and issued a permit for a post-registration study.