Birmex will produce the Sputnik V vaccine that has not yet been authorized by the WHO

Biologicos y Reactivos de México (Birmex) reported that this October 14 it signed an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to produce the vaccine against COVID-19, Suptnik V.

Dr. Pedro Zenteno Santaella, director of the parastatal, was the one who signed the agreement with the representative of the Russian Fund, which establishes the necessary mechanisms and conditions for the packaging of the antigen created in that country.

“Today the cooperation agreement was signed between the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Biological and Reactive Laboratories of Mexico (Birmex) in order to carry out the process of technological and analytical transfer for the production of the Sputnik V vaccine, ”he said from his verified Twitter account.

“This agreement establishes the necessary mechanisms and conditions to carry out the packaging of the vaccine in Mexican territory, as well as giving rise to the strengthening of the relationship between our countries,” he added.

However, Birmex has not yet announced when they will start packaging the Russian biological.

With this, three vaccines would be packaged in the country: Cansino, in Querétaro; AstraZeneca, in Ocoyoacac, State of Mexico, and Sputnik V through Birmex’s commercial alliances with Mexican laboratories.

Announcements about the possibility of producing the Russian vaccine were released since April, when the Foreign Relations Secretariat announced:”Foreign Minister Ebrard’s visit is part of the agile and open political dialogue that both countries have, and in the spirit of bilateral cooperation on various issues, notably that of combating the COVID-19 pandemic ″.

Back then it was announced that mechanisms would be sought for “broad and timely access to vaccines, equipment, drugs and medical supplies” to face the pandemic.

Furthermore, it was noted for the first time that the chancellor would meet with the Russian authorities on the issue of the distribution and production of Sputnik V.

The announcement occurs the same day that the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to authorize those vaccines that “have shown efficacy” and “have saved lives”, but that have not yet They have the approval of the organism, among them Sputnik V.

“We are working almost daily with the Ministry of Health in Russia to address the remaining issues to be completed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund,” said Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director general for access to medicines and health products.

Simao indicated that as soon as an agreement is reached, the WHO will reopen the case, evaluate the data provided even if they are “still incomplete” and will resume the inspections in the Russian manufacturing centers.

“We treat every request we have the same,” he said, without specifying a timeline for when the approval process could be completed.

Sputnik V, approved in some 70 countries and highly effective according to various studies, is also not accepted by the European Union.

Meanwhile, this Thursday Mexico received a shipment of 585 thousand doses of Sputnik V, from the National Center for Research in Epidemiology and Microbiology Gamaleya.

Until today, the country has had 126 million 689 thousand 345 doses of vaccines available from seven pharmaceutical companies, which includes those packaged in Mexican territory and those that have arrived from abroad.

According to the Ministry of Health, 67 million 694 thousand 025 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, an amount that represents an advance of 76 percent of the total adult population.

Of the above, 50 million 197 thousand 534, that is, 74 percent, has a complete scheme, and 17 million 496 thousand 491 have a dose, which represents 26 percent.