Russia announced in August that it had developed the world‘s first registered vaccine
Moscow, Russia:
The first clinical trials of a second Russian coronavirus vaccine have proved successful, its developer said Thursday after Russia boasted of approving the world‘s first vaccine.
Russia’s Vektor – a top-secret state virology research center in Siberia – said preliminary trials were successful for its own experimental vaccine, named EpiVacCorona.
“The first two phases of clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the EpiVacCorona vaccine,” Vektor’s press service told Interfax news agency.
Russia announced in August that it had developed the world‘s first registered vaccine – called “Sputnik V” in honor of the world‘s first satellite.
He raised concerns among Western scientists by announcing that the vaccine – developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya research center – had received approval before full clinical trials were completed.
Vektor said it would be possible to draw final conclusions about the effectiveness of his vaccine, which is based on peptides that trigger an immune response, once post-approval clinical trials are completed.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko this week told President Vladimir Putin that the Vektor vaccine could be approved by the ministry in three weeks.
Vektor said post-registration clinical trials will begin on 5,000 volunteers in Siberia.
The lab said there will be a separate clinical trial involving 150 volunteers over the age of 60.
After that, Vektor will begin placebo-controlled trials on 5,000 Russian volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60.
EpiVacCorona vaccine is a two-component vaccine and the interval between administration of the first and second components is 21 days.
Russia plans to manufacture 10,000 initial doses, Vektor said, with production set to begin in November.
Vektor declined to comment when contacted by AFP and referred all inquiries to Rospotrebnadzor, the country’s consumer safety watchdog.
The watchdog declined any immediate comment.
The Vektor laboratory complex conducted covert research on biological weapons in Soviet times and stores viruses ranging from Ebola to smallpox. It is located outside the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
