During a televised conference with government officials on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that it had registered the second COVID-19 vaccine.
Russia has given administrative approval to another COVID-19 vaccine, named “EpiVacCorona,” after early-stage investigations. The new coronavirus vaccine arises two months after a related move for Russia’s first vaccine Sputnik V provoked widespread criticism from experts both at home and abroad.
Russia: Almost successful COVID-19 vaccine trials
In August, Russia became the primary country to give regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine. Consequently, Sputnik V was officially registered by the administration ahead of a large-scale clinical trial.
During a televised confrontation with government officials on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that it had registered the second novel coronavirus vaccine.
Putin said that a third Russian vaccine facing the virus, produced by the Chumakov Centre, would also be enrolled shortly, Sputnik news agency reported.
Novosibirsk-based #Vektor Centre has registered a second coronavirus vaccine, #EpiVacCorona. Unlike with the first Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, which is an adenovirus vector-based vaccine, the new one is a promising synthetic vaccine based on peptide.https://t.co/lkekKNUxsO pic.twitter.com/39Md8jLsP2
— Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) October 14, 2020
We now need to increase the production of the first vaccine and the second vaccine, Putin said. The president added that the priority was to supply the Russian market with the vaccines.
All about the second Russian vaccine
The Vector State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology developed the second Russian vaccine. This action was to receive regulatory approval.
The authorities test 100 volunteers in early-stage for the two-shot vaccine, EpiVacCorona, and placebo-controlled human trials.
Consequently, the trials last for more than two months and are completed by the authorities two weeks ago. Additionally, the volunteers were between 18 and 60 years old.
Vector’s vaccine EpiVacCorona relies on chemically integrated peptide antigens of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. It is conjugated to a carrier protein and adsorbed on an aluminum-containing adjuvant.
According to the details on ClinicalTrials.gov, this information is from a database of private and public clinical studies resulting from worldwide conduction.
Conclusion of the studies
Scientists have yet to declare the results of the study. In remarks to the media, scientists producing the vaccine said that it made enough antibodies to shield the person who had it from the virus and that the immunity it generates could last for up to six months.
A forward study involves tens of thousands of volunteers to establish the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The authorities schedule this study for November or December.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that she tested the EpiVacCorona vaccine herself. She further elaborates that she experienced no side effects, according to a media report.
“The Vector center is also initiating post-registration clinical trials in the various regions of Russia that would include 40,000 volunteers,” she informs.
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