After a production setback, Aspen and Johnson & Johnson announce a donation of 300,000 vaccines to South African teachers. Strides partners with Ennaid for an oral COVID drug, while Dr Reddy’s, Lupin, Cipla and Sun Pharma Partner with Eli Lilly for baricitinib in India and Formycon receives approval for early action for its COVID-19 drug.

Brazil is permitting imports of additional coronavirus vaccines, while in India, Serum Institute will manufacture Sputnik V, the government is unifying vaccine sourcing, and emergency use approval has been granted to Lilly's anti-COVID-19 antibodies. 

Strides will consider making RDIF’s Sputnik Light vaccine after filling orders for Sputnik V, which it expects to launch in October. The COVID-19 portfolio is being expanded and the Indian company is set to make a Para IV filing for a diabetes product in December, CEO R Ananthanarayanan tells Scrip.

Strides’ Stelis is taking its next steps in the biosimilars segment with teriparatide, insulin glargine and insulin aspart. After recently completing Series B and Series C funding rounds worth $195m, Stelis also said that it was onboarding customers for its CDMO services under multi-year contracts. The company has also signed its first vaccine supply contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the Sputnik V vaccine.