Press Release on the success of Russia’s vaccine against COVID-19 at home and abroad

13.10.2020

Countries which will test, purchase or produce Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine

In August, the Russian Health Ministry registered the world's first vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19, developed by the Gamaleya Institute, and produced jointly with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). It was named Sputnik V. Another Russian vaccine, elaborated by the Novosibirsk centre Vektor has been registered under the mark «EpiVacCorona» recently.

On September 4, 2020, the leading international medical magazine “The Lancet” published the results of the clinical trials of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. The key advantage of the Russian vaccine is the fact that it was created on the basis of the human adenoviral vectors which have a long history of the successful clinical trials in Russia. As opposed to the Russian approach, a lot of foreign competitors are trying to develop vaccines based on the adenoviral vectors of monkeys or mRNA which have not been studied enough.

The WHO's Europe director H. Kluge called Sputnik V safe and effective during his visit to Moscow and the meeting with Russian Healthcare Minister M. Murashko on September 21, 2020.

Post-registration clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine began in Moscow on September 7. In total, 40 000 volunteers will take part in the study, 10 000 of them will receive a placebo, which is necessary to test its effectiveness of the vaccine. Their first results are expected to be published in October-November. All participants of the post-registration clinical trial will stay under constant medical supervision.

This vaccine has already been delivered to all Russian regions to be offered to frontline workers who involve dealing with infected patients. Moreover, facilitated by RDIF, similar post-registration clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine will also be carried out in other countries.

On September 28, 2020 the first batch of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, was delivered to Belarus. Belarus has become the first country to start clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine after its registration in Russia. On October 2, 2020, Venezuela received the first delivery for trials as well. Later the clinical trials have begun in India with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines being in line.

Moreover, over 50 nations have sent requests for the purchase of Sputnik V. Russia believes in the effectiveness of the vaccine, thus it is offered so openly for testing around the world. As of October 11, 2020, the purchase agreements were signed between RDIF and the leading world pharmaceutical companies from Mexico, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Egypt. All deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020 upon the completion of successful trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities of these countries.

Unfortunately, the production capacity in the Russian Federation will initially be sufficient only to provide Russians with vaccines. That is why it is necessary to launch production in other countries, such as India and Brazil, to produce enough for the whole world.

Russia is ready to provide information on the Sputnik V vaccine to their partners and even competitors. On October 13, 2020, the RDIF CEO K. Dmitriev at the interview to CNN proposed to share the outcomes of the Sputnik V trials with A. Fauci, the Director of the US National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases, who had previously expressed doubts concerning the Russian vaccine.