Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has announced the cost of the Sputnik V vaccine for international markets will be less than $10 per dose starting from February 2021.
This is less than $20 for the two doses necessary to vaccinate one person. As a result, Sputnik V will be two or more times cheaper than foreign vaccines based on mRNA technology with similar efficacy rates.
Vaccination with Sputnik V will be free of charge for Russian citizens. According to RDIF, the uniqueness of the Russian vaccine lies in the use of two different vectors based on the human adenovirus, which allows for a stronger and longer-term immune response as compared to vaccines using one and same vector for two doses.
Sputnik V vaccine is based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector platform that has proven safe and effective with no long-term side effects in more than 250 clinical trials globally conducted during the past two decades – while the history of the use of human adenoviruses in vaccine development began in 1953. More than 100,000 people have received approved and registered drugs based on human adenoviral vectors.
“The Gamaleya Center has developed one of the most efficient vaccines against coronavirus in the world with an efficacy rate of more than 90% and a price that is two times lower than that of other vaccines with similar efficacy rate,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, Russian Direct Investment Fund.
As of November 24 more than 22,000 volunteers were vaccinated with the first dose and more than 19,000 volunteers with the first and the second dose of the vaccine at 29 medical centers in Russia as part of the ongoing clinical trials. Currently Phase III clinical trials are approved and are ongoing in Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries, as well as Phase II-III in India.
Clinical trial data
Second interim analysis of clinical trial data showed a 91.4 per cent efficacy for the Sputnik V vaccine on day 28 after the first dose; vaccine efficacy is over 95% 42 days after the first dose.
Currently, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in the Phase III double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical post-registration study of the Sputnik V vaccine in Russia, of whom more than 22,000 volunteers were vaccinated with the first dose and more than 19,000 volunteers with the first and second doses.
(With inputs from The OnLook News Research Bureau)
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