Russian vaccine Covid-19 was extremely effective in the process, the study reveals, stimulating ambitions in Moscow

The study could be an important milestone for Moscow in the global vaccination race, giving the potential geopolitical influence to President Vladimir Putin’s government in the developing world and the chance to enter the profitable global vaccine market. Russia – the fourth most affected country in the world, with nearly four million cases – has also relied on Sputnik V to avoid costly new blockades, as authorities plan to vaccinate 60 percent of the internal population by the end of the year.

The coup, which was approved by Russian authorities in August before undergoing large-scale clinical trials, has raised questions in light of its rapid development and lack of published study data. To date, Sputnik V has been administered to more than two million people worldwide, including in Argentina, Serbia and Algeria, according to Russian authorities.

Tuesday’s results could help clarify doubts about the Russian coup.

“The development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticized for inappropriate haste, cutting corners and lack of transparency,” wrote virology professor Ian Jones of the University of Reading in the UK and Polly Roy of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Lancet. But the result reported here is clear and the scientific principle of vaccination has been demonstrated, which means that another vaccine can now join the fight to reduce the incidence of Covid-19.

Alexander Gintsburg, chief vaccine developer at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, said the data demonstrates the safety and high efficacy of Sputnik V against the virus.

It “is a great success in the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

The efficacy rate of Sputnik V is compared with the vaccines developed by Moderna Inc.

and Pfizer Inc.

and its German partner BioNTech SE,

which are about 95% effective.

The Lancet study did not address the usefulness of fire against new variants of the virus, amid early evidence that the strains may be resistant to current vaccines. Russian officials said the shooting was expected to work against other options and that studies were continuing.

The results published on Tuesday were based on an interim analysis of a phase 3 study with almost 20,000 participants, three-quarters of whom received the vaccine, while the rest received a placebo. The analysis was based on a total of 78 confirmed cases of Covid-19, of which 62 were identified in the placebo group and 16 in the vaccine group. The clinical trial, a total of 40,000 volunteers, is underway.

The researchers found that the Covid-19 vaccine did not cause any serious side effects, according to the Lancet. Most side effects included similar symptoms, pain at the injection site and headache.

Among the elderly, the vaccine was well tolerated and demonstrated an efficacy of 91.8%, based on a group of 2,144 volunteers over the age of 60, the newspaper said.

Like other Covid-19 vaccines, including those developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University, Sputnik V uses the so-called viral vector approach. It introduces a genetically modified form of a harmless virus, known as an adenovirus, to serve as a vehicle – or vector – for a fragment of genetic material in the coronavirus.

Each of the two vaccines is based on a different adenovirus vector, which Russian scientists say gets a stronger immune response. Sputnik V has simpler logistical requirements compared to some of its colleagues, with a storage and transport temperature between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pfizer vaccine should be kept at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit before thawing.

With Putputnik V – a reference to the satellite that the Soviet Union launched into orbit before the US in the Cold War space race – Russia could gain influence with some countries, analysts say, and could participate in a global coronavirus vaccine market estimated by Russian officials at $ 100 billion annually.

Competing for the price, Russia sells the vaccine for less than $ 10 per dose, lower than Pfizer and Moderna, and targets a market share of up to 30% among Covid-19 photos in countries that buy Sputnik, according to Russian officials.

AstraZeneca said it will test whether a combination of its Covid-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be 62% to 90% effective depending on the dose, and Sputnik V can increase its effectiveness. Clinical trials for a combined photo are expected to begin soon in Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.

About 15 countries outside Russia have already authorized Sputnik V, and Moscow has received orders or expressions of interest for 2.4 billion doses, including from Brazil, Mexico and India. In an attempt to speed up the global launch, Russia will also offer a single-dose vaccine, called Sputnik Light, which Russian authorities say is between 73% and 85% effective.

To produce its vaccine, Russia relies on a global supply chain, including production centers in Brazil, South Korea, India and China. Russia has also organized an aggressive public relations campaign abroad, including posting weekly video updates in English and maintaining a Twitter account for Sputnik V.

Sputnik V has not been approved by Western health authorities, nor has it received authorization from the World Health Organization, on which many developing countries rely for vaccine testing. Russia is in talks with the European Medicines Agency over the approval of the shooting in the European Union and has applied for WHO authorization.

The internal launch also faced challenges, including production delays and a skeptical population.

Authorities recently said production is now on the rise following initial equipment problems. It is now expected to produce 11 million doses this month, up from seven million in January.

About 46% of Russians said they would receive a vaccine in a January poll by British polling company Ipsos MORI, up 5 percentage points from December. However, Russians were among the most reluctant to inoculate globally, compared to 55% in France, 63% in the US and 86% in the UK.

Russia does not publish daily vaccination rates, but regional data show that at least 1.3 million Russians have received a dose so far.

Irina Levashova, a kindergarten teacher in Romodanovo, a small town 400 miles southeast of Moscow, received a second blow last month with her husband.

“I have many acquaintances who have been ill or even died of this disease, so I wanted to protect myself and my family,” said Ms. Levashova, 58, adding that she had no major side effects. . “As soon as they started talking about vaccinations, I immediately told myself that my family and I would do it.”

—Valentina Ochirova contributed to this article

Write to Georgi Kantchev at [email protected]