Brazil drugmaker eyes contract, regulatory OK for Russian vaccine next week

Brazilian pharmaceutical company União Química expects health regulator Anvisa to approve emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 next week, its director for international business Rogerio Rosso told Reuters on Friday.

Rosso said the company expects to draw up a contract by Wednesday with the Health Ministry for an initial 10 million imported doses based on a reference price of $10 per dose. He said the ministry is also interested in buying the firm's entire domestic production of Sputnik V, an estimated 8 million doses a month from April, for Brazil's national immunization program.