Sputnik V showed an efficiency of 91.6%, confirming the demands of the developers last year.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg
The Russian Sputnik V vaccine offers strong protection against Covid-19 in an interim analysis of an advanced clinical trial, while supporters say it appears to be working against new strains of the virus.
According to peer-reviewed findings, published Tuesday in The Lancet Medical Journal, the vaccine is well-tolerated and also used in the elderly. Sputnik V showed 91.6% efficiency, confirming claims by the developers last year.
The findings eased the credibility of the vaccine after the accusations were faced that they were rushed to the market before critical scientific data became available. Sputnik V has been approved for use in 16 countries, from Argentina to Iran.
“The development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticized for improper haste,” Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, England, said in an accompanying note in The Lancet. “But the outcomes reported here are clear and the scientific principle of vaccination is being shown, which means that another vaccine can now compete to reduce the incidence of Covid-19.”
Although the results are not final, the vaccine joins only a handful of others, including those developed by Moderna Inc., AstraZeneca Plc en Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE show that it works in an advanced clinical trial. It differs from the others because it responds to two doses of different viral vectors, giving it an advantage against new strains, said Kirill Dmitriev, co-developer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
“We have no doubt that the vaccine will be approved by the World Health Organization,” Dmitriev said in an interview. “It has a high efficiency and is one of the most accessible because of the price and convenience of logistics and storage.”
The developers last met with the public health organization in Geneva on January 22 to discuss their application, and no time frame was given for approval. The vaccine has not yet been submitted to Western regulators.
Initial tests by RDIF’s partner, the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, show that the vaccine remains effective against new strains of Covid-19, according to Dmitriev.
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South African and British variants of Covid-19 appear to be more transmissible than the original virus and have expressed fears that it may affect the efficacy of existing vaccines or a booster dose.
Dmitriev said testing of a combination of AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines would begin next week, with initial trials in Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates. The mixture could be more effective against new strains, he said. RDIF plans to offer its vaccination as a second dose to producers with vaccinations with an effectiveness of less than 90%.
Full protection
The vaccine provides complete protection against severe cases of Covid-19, while showing virtually the same efficacy for volunteers over 60, according to the published data. Dmitriev said researchers are also preparing to study its use for children.
The peer-reviewed publication could help Russian efforts to vaccinate 60% of its adult population in the first half of the year after a slow initial implementation. The home shot had doubts at home. Only 38% of Russians are willing to take Sputnik V, according to a December 21-23 poll conducted by the Levada Center.
Many vaccination centers in Moscow, where the campaign is largest, are not working on capacity, even after Vladimir Putin ordered universal access to the vaccination in mid-January. The Russian president has not yet said when he will be vaccinated.
Sputnik V should provide protection against Covid-19 for more than a year and could be used for vaccination again, according to Dmitriev. He said he took a shot seven months after his first shot to test his cellular immune response, which causes antibodies faster than after his initial vaccination.