New Delhi (NVI): Russia’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, Sputnik V, has shown a 92 per cent effectiveness rate at protecting people from COVID-19 infection, the country’s sovereign wealth fund said today.
The efficacy was demonstrated on the basis of a first interim analysis obtained 21 days after the first injection, the Russian Health Ministry, Gamaleya and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a joint statement.
“The Sputnik V vaccine efficacy amounted to 92% (calculation based on the 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo),” the statement said.
[12] The Sputnik V vaccine efficacy amounted to 92% (calculation based on the 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo).
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) November 11, 2020
Currently, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III of Sputnik V clinical trials.
The statement further said, on November 11, as part of the clinical trials in Russia’s 29 medical centers, more than 20,000 volunteers were vaccinated with first dose and over 16,000 volunteers with the first and the second dose of the vaccine.
However, no unexpected adverse events were identified as part of the research. Some of those vaccinated had short-term adverse events such as pain at the injection site, flu-like syndrome including fever, weakness and headache.
At present, Sputnik V, Phase III clinical trials are approved and are undergoing in Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries, as well as Phase II-III in India.
Russia became the first country to register the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine on August 11, the company said, adding that, the Gamaleya Centre team will publish the interim research data in one of the leading international peer-reviewed medical journals.
Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Murashko said, “The use of the vaccine and the results of clinical trials demonstrate that it is an efficient solution to stop the spread of coronavirus infection, а preventive healthcare tool, and this is the most successful path to defeat the pandemic.”
-RJV
