Moscow [Russia], October 5 (ANI/Sputnik): The developer of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, Gamaleya research institute, hopes that the drug will receive necessary approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) by the end of the year, Vladimir Gushchin, a senior researcher at the institute, said on Tuesday.

"I believe it will happen in the coming months, October or November. I think we will end this year with the vaccine being finally recognized by the WHO," Gushchin said at the OPENBIO biotechnology forum.

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He noted that the WHO approval is the current priority of the institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has been heavily involved in the production, clinical research, and registration of Sputnik V with relevant authorities.

Gushchin added that he had expected the vaccine to gain approval in September, as the WHO earlier announced, but that did not happen.

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Sputnik V is currently authorized for use in 70 countries with a total population of four billion people, or 50 per cent of the world's population. (ANI/Sputnik)

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