AstraZeneca has sent a legal notice to Indian partner Serum Institute for non-delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. Will this and the entry of a new challenger, Sputnik V, in the Indian market affect Serum’s fortunes? Will the EMA and MHRA announcement on clotting incidents related to the AZ vaccine shrink demand for the partnered vaccine?

Global research consortium to investigate the use of immunoglobulin as a COVID-19 therapy ends following disappointing results from a Phase III trial. Meanwhile, Russian vaccine producer RDIF is snapping up more production capacity in India, where interferon has also progressed as a possible treatment. 

Concern in India as a double-mutant strain with E484Q and L452R escape mutations has been found in the state of Maharashtra.

While speculation mounts about Serum Institute being next in line for an RDIF partnership, Gland Pharma and Strides unit Stelis sign up to make COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V. Part of the 550 million dose output tied up from India so far could be consumed domestically, but exports are a possibility as demand from European countries is set to jump.