Swiss-based pharma group to produce Sputnik vaccine in Italy
From space rocket to vaccine: Sputnik V
Keystone / Miguel Gutierrez
The Lugano-headquartered Adienne pharma company has agreed to produce the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in its northern Italy plant, the Italian-Russian chamber of commerce has said.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Reuters/AFP/dos
Español
es
Firma con sede en Suiza produciría la Sputnik V en Italia
If the agreement between the Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund – which markets Sputnik internationally – and Adienne is approved by Italian authorities, production in Italy could begin in June. The hope is to produce some 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2021, the chamber of commerce said on Tuesday. It would be the first Sputnik V production facility in Europe.
Vincenzo Trani, the head of the chamber of commerce, said “it can be called a historic event, which is proof of the good state of relations between our countries and shows that Italian companies can see beyond political differences”.
Adienne is headquartered in Lugano, in southern Switzerland, but operates manufacturing plants in the northern Italian region of Lombardy.
Sputnik V is being reviewed by European Union regulators but has not been approved for use in the bloc. Russia has complained that the EU keeps pushing back the approval process, while acknowledging that the vaccine is already authorised in 46 countries worldwide.
More
More
How vaccine technology, choice and supply work in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Swiss Covid-19 vaccination campaign is up and running. How do the vaccine technologies work and compare?
A spokesman for the Italian-Russian chamber of commerce told the AFP news agency Tuesday that “if the vaccine is not authorised in Europe by July 1, 2021, then the doses produced [in Italy] will be bought back by the Russian sovereign wealth fund and distributed to countries where it is approved”.
The EU has approved three vaccines to date: from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. However, the vaccine rollout in the bloc has stumbled after production delays led to a shortfall in expected vaccine deliveries.
Last week, Italy blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in an ongoing row between the EU and the UK-based pharma company.
Switzerland has so far approved – and is administering – two of the vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna. However, it has also preordered batches from AstraZeneca, CureVac, and Novavax.
While not at the forefront in developing vaccines, Swiss companies have been stepping up their involvement in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines. Lonza is producing ingredients for the Moderna vaccine at its production plant in Visp, southern Switzerland, while pharma giant Novartis has signed deals to help manufacture both the Pfizer/BioNtech and CureVac vaccines.
More
More
Novartis to help produce CureVac Covid-19 vaccine
This content was published on
Novartis has signed an initial deal to produce the mRNA molecules for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by German biotech firm CureVac.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
This content was published on
If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
This content was published on
The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
This content was published on
Geneva, which is facing several days of very hot weather, has raised its level of vigilance with regard to the risk of forest fires and is issuing an appeal for caution.
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Novartis agrees to help Pfizer-BioNTech produce Covid-19 vaccine
This content was published on
Swiss pharma giant Novartis says it has signed an initial agreement to provide manufacturing capacity for Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.