The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) submitted applications to the World Health Organization requesting an Emergency Use Listing and prequalification for the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the sovereign wealth fund announced on Tuesday. An Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is meant to make a vaccine available globally faster, while a WHO prequalification is a global quality tag that ensures vaccines are safe and effective. It is the only global quality assurance program for medicines. 'We have submitted an application for Emergency Use Listing and prequalification of the vaccine by the World Health Organization, which will allow Sputnik V to be included in the list of medical products that meet leading quality, safety and efficacy standards,' said RIDF CEO Kirill Dmitriev. 'We express our gratitude to the WHO for its active cooperation and look forward to the successful completion of the prequalification process at all major stages.' Russia was the first country to grant regulatory approval for a novel coronavirus vaccine, and did so before large-scale trials were complete, stirring concerns among scientists and doctors about the safety and efficacy of the shot. The vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute and marketed by RDIF, is based on a platform of human adenoviral vectors. Reuters and Zachary Keyser contributed to this report.
