SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A Brazilian pharmaceutical company aims to request authorization for emergency use of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the second half of February, its head told Valor Econômico on Thursday.
Fernando de Castro Marques, chief executive of União Química Farmacêutica Nacional, told the newspaper that the first doses of the vaccine might be available next month, once the company secured approval from health regulator Anvisa.
Production of the Sputnik V vaccine is scheduled to start in January in Brazil, according to Castro’s quoted comments. Once at full capacity, União will be able to make 8 million doses per month at a facility in central Brazil, he said.
União Química did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
(Reporting by Ana Mano; editing by John Stonestreet)