First Phase of Production of Russian Vaccine at Torlak Approved – Filling into Ampoules, Packaging and Distribution to Begin in Two to Three Months

The minister without portfolio in charge of innovation and technological development Nenad Popovic said on February 12 that a delegation of Russian experts had approved the start of the first phase of production of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine at the Torlak Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Serums, the Government of Serbia announced.

In a statement for the Tanjug agency, Popovic said that the delegation, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Industry, the Direct Investment Fund and the Russian Drug Agency, was satisfied with what they saw in "Torlak".

– The first phase has been preliminarily approved and production could start in two or three months, with small changes – he announced and added that there would be a written report on that a few days later.

According to him, the first phase of production includes the transport of the substance from Russia, filling into ampoules at "Torlak" and packaging and distribution of the vaccine in Serbia and in the region.

The Minister announced that, in the next 10 or 15 days, another group of experts from Russia would come to Serbia to determine the possibilities for the second phase of production, i.e. the full production cycle at "Torlak".

When it comes to the second phase, he said that several more visits were needed so that a full technical information about everything necessary would be provided. According to the preliminary information and the conclusions of the Russian team, he says, that phase is quite possible as well.

Director of the "Torlak" Institute Vera Stoiljkovic pointed out that this institution had the technical and technological conditions for the production of the Sputnik V vaccine, and that Russian experts had had the opportunity to be convinced of that.

She pointed out that the institute had the technology necessary for the production of various types of vaccines, such as bacteria or virus-based vaccines, as well as for a part of their filling, that is, for the finalization.

– We hope that we will soon be able to make a vaccine that is a joint product of Russia and Serbia – Stoiljkovic noted.

Institut Torlak

Ministarstvo nauke, tehnološkog razvoja i inovacija Republike Srbije

Torlak Institute

Nenad Popović

Vera Stoiljković

Russian vaccine

production of the Russian vaccine

Sputnik v

coronavirus

coronavirus vaccine