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Putin, Sputnik V & mass vaccination

What role has Putin played in Russia’s response to COVID? Is he waging a silent war to root out the clot-shot fanatics and Virus nannies in his country? Or has he enabled and supported these bad actors?

Did Russia’s power-hungry regional governors use COVID for their own selfish purposes, defying the wishes of the federal government? Or are the regions imposing unsavory policies to appease the Kremlin and federal agencies?

  • Perhaps Putin deferred to Russia’s “public health” experts and is not actively involved in formulating COVID measures? After all, he can’t do everything; Putin is the leader of a rather large, complex and consequential country—it would be unrealistic to expect him to take the reins on every policy issue, or to make every decision.
  • Finally, is there evidence Putin has used the special military operation in Ukraine to “end” the “pandemic” in Russia?

This article will be the first in a series exploring these questions. We can’t promise definitive answers. Instead, our hope is to provide a chronology of Putin’s stated views—as well as his directives and instructions to federal and regional authorities—to allow readers to make informed judgements for themselves.

Because Russia is rebooting its mass vaccination drive, we thought it would be appropriate to begin with Putin’s role in Sputnik V’s development and deployment.

PUTIN & THE GENESIS OF SPUTNIK V

On April 20, 2020, Putin held a meeting via videoconference on the “sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Russian Federation.” Attendees included Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, and leading medical professionals.

The creation of a COVID vaccine was a top agenda item.

  • “I would like to hear today how the work on creating an antiviral vaccine is progressing,” Putin told the meeting’s participants. “I am aware of what a complex, painstaking scientific search is being carried out in this direction. It is difficult to guess here, impossible. After all, the vaccine should not only be delivered. Its effectiveness and safety must be proven. In this regard, I understand what a colossal responsibility for the result lies with the developers.”

The Russian president added:

“I ask you to express your opinion on the possible timing of the development of a vaccine. It is important for us to know this now in order to reserve and prepare industrial capacities in advance in order to quickly launch the production of the vaccine in the required volumes.”

But several of the assembled medical experts expressed doubts about the feasibility and necessity of creating a COVID vaccine. Some even suggested the threat posed by coronavirus had been greatly exaggerated.

Professor Alexander Chuchalin, President of the Russian Respiratory Society, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the head of the Russian Health Ministry’s Ethics Council, advocated for a “paradigm change” allowing for a “correct assessment” of the new virus.

  • For example, he spoke out against using ventilators to treat COVID patients, describing artificial ventilation of the lungs as “ineffective.”

Chuchalin summarized his position:

Somewhere we need to readjust. We are a little, it seems to me, going too far, dramatizing the situation as a whole. A person is sick with a coronavirus … A mother breastfeeds a child, a month later [the infant] already had a coronavirus, and a person lives with it all his life. It is the most common viral infectious disease in humans.

Next to speak was Nikolai Durmanov, Special Representative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for Biological Safety.

  • Durmanov told Putin it was “probably a naïve dream” to think a vaccine could be developed that would be effective for the entire population.

The official cited previous attempts to create vaccines against Ebola and swine flu, which triggered lethal inflammatory syndromes when tested on mice:

  • Our experience with Ebola and with swine flu showed us that we can make a very good vaccine that works well on 90 percent of the population, but it will kill 10 percent of the population (in this case mice, thank God) by stimulating this cytokine storm of which we hear so much about.

However, Durmanov didn’t rule out the possibility of “creating a number of vaccine alternatives, each targeted to work with the specific genes an individual carries.”

Next up was Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the Health Ministry’s Gamaleya Center.

Gintsburg promised his institute could create a COVID vaccine “in a very limited time frame, within a few months.”

  • In 2015, the Gamaleya Center created a “technological platform” that used “virus-like particles” to deliver genetic material to cells. A genetic injection based on this platform could provide immunity against COVID within 10-12 days after being administered, he claimed.

Gintsburg stressed the platform was safe and effective, as evidenced by Gamaleya’s Ebola vaccine, which was registered in Russia and subjected to “extensive” testing in Guinea. The vaccine template was later modified to develop a serum against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), providing 100% protection in animal tests, and exhibiting very promising results among 200 human volunteers.

Back in the real world, Gintsburg’s “technological platform” had yet to produce a single drug approved for use outside of Russia. Even Gamaleya’s much-vaunted Ebola vaccine was only tested on 2,000 people in Guinea a year after the African nation was declared Ebola-free in June 2016.

Gamaleya’s Ebola shot was conspicuously absent when hemorrhagic fever returned to Guinea in February 2021, prompting an emergency vaccination program in the country. The drug only has been registered in Russia; luckily, there aren’t many Ebola outbreaks in Moscow.

As for Gamaleya’s MERS vaccine: as of August 2022, it’s been indefinitely shelved without completing clinical trials. The vaccine was administered to 268 people as part of combined Phase I-II studies. The results of these trials have not been published.

Maybe Gintsburg slightly exaggerated his platform’s impregnable track record—but by then it didn’t matter. His pitch to Putin was a mere formality: The Gamaleya Center had already received “a government assignment to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.”

Reporting on the project’s latest developments, Gintsburg told Russia’s president that his COVID injection had shown promising results in mice and guinea pigs.

  • Preclinical studies were slated to end on May 31, with clinical trials expected to begin at the start of June.

Gintsburg also thanked Putin for issuing a directive allowing Gamaleya to conduct “clinical trials in parallel with preclinical studies,” explaining this decision would “speed up” the vaccine’s development.

Putin expressed satisfaction with Gintsburg’s presentation, and ordered Russia’s health minister to ensure Gamaleya’s COVID vaccine wouldn’t be bogged down by unnecessary red tape.

“Mikhail Albertovich [Murashko], it is necessary to systematize everything that was just proposed by Alexander Leonidovich [Gintsburg]. Prepare appropriate proposals for me. This also applies to the acceleration of licensing procedures,” Putin instructed his health minister.

  • Gintsburg ultimately prevailed over the more cautious medical professionals who issued advice to Putin. Gamaleya’s vaccine—Sputnik V—received emergency authorization from the Russian Health Ministry on August 11, 2020.

“This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against a new coronavirus infection was registered,” Putin announced. “It works quite effectively, forms a stable immunity and has passed all the necessary checks.”

While “the world’s first registered COVID-19 vaccine” was hailed as a triumph of Russian scientific prowess, not everyone in the country’s medical community celebrated.

  • Professor Chuchalin—who warned against “dramatizing” coronavirus—came out against Sputnik V, claiming the decision to rush through clinical trials was a gross violation of medical ethics.

“We will just make fools of ourselves with this early vaccine, which can bring us a lot of trouble,” Chuchalin warned a month after participating in the April 20 videoconference with Putin.

The professor resigned as head of the Health Ministry’s Ethics Council on August 10, 2020—a day before Sputnik received approval from the ministry.

“THE SAFEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE VACCINE”

  • In November 2020, Chuchalin reiterated the ethical problems with Russia’s rushed vaccine: There was no way to know if Sputnik V was safe and effective, because you can’t expedite long-term safety and efficacy trials. At least two years of observation was needed to determine the drug’s safety profile, he noted.

Citing previous research on adenovirus vector therapies, the professor also predicted the alleged effectiveness of Sputnik V would rapidly decrease over time.

The professor claimed Gintsburg and Russia’s Health Ministry were aware of his position.

  • In retrospect, it seems Chuchalin’s assessment was correct. On April 10, 2021, Gintsburg boasted Sputnik V would provide lifelong immunity against COVID. Exactly one year later, he said Russians should get revaccinated every six months, and even suggested a “two-dose” booster for high-risk individuals.

Sputnik V’s safety record is more difficult to gauge. Russia does not have a VAERS-like database for reporting and viewing suspected post-vaccination complications. In January 2022, Russian authorities shut down a website that tracked suspected vaccine-linked deaths in the country.

According to Putin, Sputnik V has not been linked to a single serious adverse reaction in Russia—and technically he’s correct, since there are no publicly available figures on post-vaccination complications.

At the same time, Putin has raised questions about the safety of foreign-made vaccines.

As TASS reported on March 4, 2021:

  • Putin noted that the level of patient protection when vaccinated with AstraZeneca is 63%, while the Sputnik V vaccine shows an efficiency level of 91.6%. The President also mentioned several deaths after the use of the Pfizer vaccine. “Thank God, we don’t have a single case of severe side effects, 10% may have a fever on the second day, but the level of protection and safety is high,” he added.

“Indeed, there is something to be proud of, bearing in mind that our vaccine is the safest and most effective in the world,” the Russian president said of Sputnik V.

He made a similar claim three months later.

“Let me remind you that the Russian vaccine is recognized as the safest and most effective. Efficiency over 96%. And, according to our regulatory authorities, there is not a single lethal outcome from the use of the vaccine,” Putin said during a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 4, 2021.

  • On the same day, Russia’s president told journalists that “[Russian] authorities have not recorded a single lethal outcome from the use of [Sputnik V], while other [foreign] manufacturers, unfortunately, have such tragic cases.”

Is Putin aware of the vaccine-linked deaths in his country reported by Russian media? Judging by his inner circle of health experts, perhaps not.

“I talked with the head of the Gamaleya Institute [Alexander Gintsburg], they conducted research and Sputnik V effectively neutralizes the new Omicron strain,” Russia’s leader said on December 28, 2021. He added Sputnik V “provides somewhere around 90% protection, somewhere in the region.”

PUTIN ON THE NEED FOR MASS VACCINATION

  • While Russia’s president has sent mixed signals about his position on mandatory injections, he has been vocal about his support for mass vaccination. In fact, Putin has repeatedly called vaccination the key to ending the purported health crisis.

“The coronavirus pandemic will not go away on its own: in order to defeat it, you need to be vaccinated. This opinion was expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin,” TASS reported on June 30, 2021.

Below is a chronology of Putin’s views on mass vaccination.

  • December 17, 2020: “Regarding the need for mass or universal vaccination: I believe that this should be done. The same is said not only by our, domestic virologists, but also by their colleagues almost all over the world. One of the few ways to overcome all issues related to the pandemic is through mass vaccination, which should create nationwide immunity. And I repeat once again: our vaccine is effective and safe. So I see no reason not to get vaccinated.” [source: Kremlin.ru]
  • April 21, 2021: Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Russians to get vaccinated against coronavirus infection…“Once again I appeal to the citizens of Russia. My dears, you must not lose your vigilance. I ask you to take care of yourself and your loved ones, to comply with all the recommendations of doctors and sanitary services as responsibly as possible,” the head of state stressed. [source: Izvestia]
  • April 21, 2021: “Vaccination is of central importance now. I ask the government, the Ministry of Health, the heads of regions to deal with these issues on a daily basis,” [Putin] said, speaking with a message to the Federal Assembly. [source: RIA Novosti]
  • May 10, 2021: “Today we talked with Anna Popova, our chief health officer. Both on my behalf and on her behalf, I want to appeal to our citizens to continue the vaccination campaign,” Putin said. [source: RIA Novosti]
  • June 2, 2021: “Vaccination is an extremely important thing, we have talked about it many times. I am even trying, as far as I can, to support this process, to support you in achieving the necessary results, goals and volumes of vaccination,” the head of state said during a meeting with government members via videoconference, addressing Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. [source: Izvestia]
  • June 4, 2021: “Today, every adult citizen of Russia has the opportunity to get vaccinated as comfortably as possible, voluntarily and free of charge. And, taking this opportunity, I want to once again ask our citizens to use this opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones,” Putin said. [source: RIA Novosti]
  • June 30, 2021: The President noted that the only way to prevent the further spread of the epidemic is through vaccination. “This is known very well, experts have said many times on television and on the Internet, in all possible media, through all channels that it is possible to prevent the further spread of the epidemic only through vaccination,” the head of state said. [source: TASS]
  • July 21, 2021: “Our main task now is to increase the rate of vaccination in the country. It is extremely important to convince people of the need to get vaccinated, that this is the only way we can put a barrier to the epidemic,” Putin said. [source: TASS]
  • August 5, 2021: “In some regions, vaccination is proceeding at a fairly rapid pace, in others it is slower, it is necessary to identify the best practices and implement them throughout the Russian Federation, in all regions,” Putin said at a meeting with members of the government. [source: RIA Novosti]
  • August 22, 2021: “We need to do everything to overcome the pandemic, and the best tool for this fight is vaccination,” the president said at a meeting with representatives of the United Russia party. [source: RIA Novosti]
  • September 17, 2021: Russian President Vladimir Putin drew attention to the importance of timely revaccination against COVID. The head of state touched upon this topic at a meeting with the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov online on Friday. “You spoke about the measures taken by the city authorities to combat COVID infection. We must not forget to revaccinate on time,” Putin stressed, recalling that an outbreak of coronavirus occurred in his inner circle due to the late revaccination of a number of employees. [source: TASS]
  • October 5, 2021: It is necessary to undergo revaccination against coronavirus in a timely manner, this moment should not be missed. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with the government on Tuesday. “It is very important that revaccination takes place on time,” he said. [source: TASS]
  • October 12, 2021: Putin called on State Duma deputies to actively, but at the same time patiently explain to citizens the need for vaccination against coronavirus…“I ask you to take an active part in this work, conduct educational work, speak in the media. People trust you and listen to advice and recommendations, this is very important…We need to work persistently and patiently with people who explain to them all the benefits associated with the prevention of this dangerous disease,” he said, addressing the deputies. In general, the head of state stressed that the pace of vaccination against coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation today needs to be increased. [source: TASS]
  • October 20, 2021: Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the government, urged citizens to get vaccinated and called strange the behavior of his acquaintances who hesitate to get vaccinated against COVID-19… “Strange, people with good education, with scientific degrees. I don’t understand what is happening,” Putin said, noting that Russia has good, effective vaccines. [source: RBK]
  • October 20, 2021: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the need to increase the pace of vaccination and called on citizens to be more actively vaccinated. “I draw the attention of the heads of the subjects of the Federation to the need to increase the pace of vaccination and, of course, I once again urge all our citizens to actively get vaccinated…It is better to get vaccinated, why wait for severe consequences.” [source: Izvestia]
  • November 1, 2021: “The real salvation from the severe course of the disease and the salvation from deaths is vaccination,” the head of state said. [source: Interfax]

While Putin has claimed he is against using coercive measures to increase Russia’s vaccination rate (a topic we will explore in detail in Part II of this series), he has nonetheless made attempts at shaming Russian citizens into getting the shot.

Refusing the vaccine is a “dishonest position against your people,” Putin said on December 23, 2021.

HOW MANY RUSSIANS NEED TO BE VACCINATED?

Like most world leaders, Putin has championed mass vaccination as the only way to return to “normal” life. But how many Russians need to get the shot to form “collective immunity”?

  • Speaking to Rossiya 1 on March 28, 2021, Putin claimed 70% of Russia’s adult population needed to be immunized to end the pandemic.
  • A little more than two months later, on June 5, 2021, the Russian president predicted international travel restrictions would remain in place until Russia achieved “60% immunization of the entire population.”

He readjusted his assessment at the end of December.

“We need collective immunity at 80%. I hope next year in the second quarter we will reach this level,” Putin said on December 23, 2021.

He spoke on the same subject less than a week later while attending a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit.

  • “Colleagues abroad are already striving to immunize more than 90 percent [of their populations]. And you need 90 percent,” the Russian president said on December 28.

Part II discusses Putin’s stance on compulsory vaccination.

What role did Russia’s president play in Sputnik V’s development & deployment?

Source: Riley Waggaman – Off-Guardian

Header: In this handout photo taken on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, and provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund, an employee shows a new vaccine at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia. Russia on Tuesday, Aug. 11 became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international skepticism about injections that have not completed clinical trials and were studied in only dozens of people for less than two months. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP)

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Russia may start Convasel vaccine clinical trials on people aged over 60 in 2022

The Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) plans to begin in 2022 clinical trials of the country’s new anti-coronavirus Convasel vaccine on people aged 60 and older, FMBA chief Veronika Skvortsova told TASS.

“Taking into account the past experience of such research work and successful pre-clinical and clinical trials, FMBA considers an opportunity of launching clinical trials of Convasel for people aged 60 and older in 2022,” she said.

The Convasel anti-coronavirus vaccine was developed by the St. Petersburg-based Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency and it was registered with the Russian Health Ministry on March 18.

  • The vaccine is an emulsion for intramuscular injection. The volume of one dose is 0.5 ml. Earlier, Skvortsova said the vaccine does not provoke allergy.

Mass production of the vaccine was launched by the institute on April 5. According to Skvortsova’s previous statements, the institute can manufacture up to two million vaccine doses a month.

  • Convasel can be used for revaccination of patients, who earlier received Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac.

Source: TASS

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Convasel vaccine effective against Stealth Omicron – FMBA

The anti-coronavirus vaccine Convasel is equally effective against practically all variants, including Omicron and its subvariants, the chief of the Federal Medical-Biological agency (FMBA) Veronika Skvortsova told TASS.

“Most epitops in the N-proteins of different SARS-CoV-2 strains are identical. One can expect an identical immune response whenever a person vaccinated with Convasel encounters any of the SARS-CoV-2 strains that are developing actively: Omicron and the Omicron’s subtype BA.2 – Stealth Omicron,” she said.

What is Convasel

The Convasel coronavirus vaccine was developed by the St. Petersburg-based Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums of the Federal Medical Biological Agency and registered with the Russian Health Ministry on March 18.

The vaccine is an emulsion for intramuscular injection. The volume of one dose is 0.5 ml. Earlier, Skvortsova said the vaccine does not provoke allergy.

  • Mass production of the vaccine was launched by the institute on April 5. According to Skvortsova, the institute can manufacture up to two million vaccine doses a month.
  • The Convasel vaccine can be used for revaccination after the inoculation with the Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac vaccines, she added.

Omicron variants

The coronavirus strain B.1.1.529, which is designated by the Greek letter “Omicron”, was discovered in 2021 in southern Africa.

  • According to the federal anti-coronavirus task force, it has been detected in all regions of Russia. In February 2022, it was found to be subdivided into three main lines: BA.1, BA.2, BA.3.

Earlier, the chief of a special group for the development of new methods of diagnostics on the basis of sequencing technologies at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology under the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Khamil Khafizov, told TASS the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron strain, or Stealth Omicron, was the most contagious variant of the coronavirus in the history of the pandemic.

  • He said the share of this variant was as high as 90% of all detected cases of coronavirus infection.

Source: TASS

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Russia & AstraZeneca: ‘Vaccine’ Collusion

By April 2020, a third of the world’s population was living under medical martial law. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel: trusted pharmaceutical companies were developing “safe and effective” vaccines that would stop the spread of the dreaded virus and end the pandemic. Or so we were told.

  • The clock was ticking – and Big Pharma needed lots of money in order to expedite the creation of a miracle drug. In the United States, the Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed, a lavishly funded program that aimed to accelerate the development and distribution of coronavirus elixirs.

At the same time, the Russian government poured resources into developing its own vaccine.

Funding for the public health initiative came from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the country’s sovereign wealth fund. In June 2020, RDIF announced a joint venture with R-Pharm, one of Russia’s largest pharmaceutical firms.

  • The duo would work together to produce and distribute a vaccine developed by the Russian health ministry’s Gamaleya Center.
  • The health ministry approved the vaccine after less than two months of testing, making Sputnik V the world’s first registered COVID shot. The drug’s catchy name was the brainchild of RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (Class of 2009).

The Soros Foundation spotted Dmitriev’s potential at an early age, and awarded him a scholarship to study at Stanford University and later Harvard Business School. He worked for Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company before taking the reins at RDIF in 2011.

Dmitriev’s decision to include R-Pharm in RDIF’s investment portfolio was a shrewd move worthy of his Young Global Leader pedigree.

On July 17, 2020, AstraZeneca announced R-Pharm would become “one of the hubs for the production and supply of [its] vaccine to international markets.”

Under the agreement, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant agreed to transfer its adenoviral vector to Russia. R-Pharm would then be tasked with “finishing” doses and shipping them abroad.

The company said in a press release:

“AstraZeneca is confident that, together with R-Pharm, it will be able to supply millions of people with the vaccine in the most efficient way,”

  • In other words: by July 2020, the Russian government had positioned itself to profit from the production and distribution of two COVID vaccines: Sputnik V and AstraZeneca’s shot.

As vaccine-linked injuries and deaths continue to be documented around the world, some have portrayed Russia as a bulwark against Big Pharma’s murderous business model. As we will document below, nothing could be further from the truth.

THE ILLUSION OF RIVALRY

Dmitriev dismissed the hacking allegations as ludicrous, pointing to the fact that stealing British vaccine secrets would be a waste of time because R-Pharm had already signed a deal with AstraZeneca to manufacture the company’s vaccine.

“AstraZeneca has already signed commitments to transfer all production of the British vaccine to R-Pharm.”

However, this partnership didn’t stop Dmitriev from taking swipes at AstraZeneca.

Dmitriev’s doubts about the British-Swedish vax didn’t stop RDIF from pursuing closer business ties with AstraZeneca.

On the contrary, in December, RDIF, AstraZeneca, the Gamaleya Center, and R-Pharm signed a memorandum of cooperation.

  • “Today we announce a clinical trial program to assess safety and immunogenicity of the combination of AZD1222, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Sputnik V, developed by Russian Gamaleya Center… Both AZD1222 and Sputnik V are adenoviral vector vaccines that contain genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein,” AstraZeneca said in a December 11 press release.
  • On December 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Russia’s partnership with AstraZeneca.

“I am absolutely convinced that such an attitude towards partnership today can serve as a good, convincing example of combining scientific forces, technologies, investments for a common goal – to protect the life, health and safety of millions of people on the planet as a whole,” Putin noted.

Addressing AstraZeneca’s CEO, he added: “I want to wish you success not only in the Russian market, but also in global markets, and express the hope that the new year will be favorable for your company and for solving the problems that we are now talking about.”

Commenting on the partnership, Gamaleya’s director, Alexander Gintsburg, predicted a combination of Sputnik V and AstraZeneca would eventually be registered for use in Russia.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

TRUE FRIENDS DON’T CARE ABOUT BLOOD CLOTS

RDIF wasted no time in pursuing its dream of creating a COVID-fighting cocktail from the two vaccines it was financially invested in.

In February 2021, Azerbaijan agreed to host a clinical trial to test a combination of Sputnik V’s first component (“Sputnik Light”) and AstraZeneca’s shot. Dmitriev praised the study as an example of “international efforts” to defeat coronavirus.

Meanwhile, inconvenient “safety concerns” were popping up in the media. By mid-March, 20 European countries had temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine due to reports linking the drug to blood clots and internal bleeding.

Despite the worrying reports, RDIF did not abandon its Big Pharma pal.

Preliminary data from a parallel study held in Argentina produced similarly promising results. The timing was perfect, because in August, the Argentinian government began administering AstraZeneca and Moderna shots to people who had received the first component of Sputnik V. Argentina said it was mixing the drugs due to supply shortages, but Dmitriev insisted this had been the plan all along.

“We suggested it, we always wanted to do a combo,” Dmitriev said at the time. “Sputnik is the first combined vaccine, the first mix and match, which consists of two different shots. We have said from the beginning that two different shots work better than two identical ones.”

Meanwhile, R-Pharm was making final preparations to begin mass production of both Sputnik V and the British-Swedish shot.

AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP

  • By late 2021, the big-brains behind Sputnik V were openly collaborating with Pfizer and Moderna.

“We already have a joint study with Moderna in Argentina, and Argentina is now investigating a combination of Sputnik and Moderna. There are also two other countries that are currently doing research on a combination of Pfizer and Sputnik, and we believe that this will be a very successful combination,” Dmitriev said in October.

The Gamaleya Center was also excited about these new clot-shot cocktails. In November, one of the scientists who developed Sputnik V, Dmitry Shcheblyakov, advocated for mixing the Russian vaccine with mRNA shots.

“We see that the combination of different vaccines made with different technologies only gives an advantage,” Shcheblyakov said.

According to RDIF, data from Pfizer-Sputnik trials will be available by the end of 2022.

TRUE FRIENDS DON’T CARE ABOUT SANCTIONS

  • There was big news in February: the Azerbaijan study now had an impressive 100 participants, and the results were still extremely promising.

“Preliminary data from the combined use of Sputnik Light and AstraZeneca vaccines confirm the benefit of using different vaccines during revaccination. In the context of the emergence of new dangerous strains of coronavirus, it is this approach that can provide safe, effective and long-term protection,” Dmitriev said in a February 14 press release.

Notably, western sanctions introduced in response to the “special operation” in Ukraine have not put an end to Russia’s partnership with Big Pharma. Western drugmakers have maintained operations in the country, even as dozens of companies have pulled out of Russia.

BIOSECURITY THEATER: A GLOBAL REALITY

The fact that Russia’s cynical vaccine profiteering continues unabated, even after Moscow has been almost completely cut off from western financial systems and markets, reveals an uncomfortable reality: there is no escaping the depraved, anti-human biosecurity theater spawned by “the pandemic.”

The only question now is: which “bloc” will claim the right to torment and inject you?

Source: Riley Waggaman – Off-Guardian

Header: Production of ‘Medgamal’ two components COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) at the Gamaleya National Research Centre in Moscow, Russia, August 6, 2020.

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Russia’s first IV anti-COVID drug registered, manufacturer says

Dubbed Areplivir, the “first direct-acting intravenous solution for treatment of COVID-19 in Russia” has been registered by the authorities, its developer Promomed told TASS on Friday. The company added that the drug would be available for use in hospitals before year’s end.

The solution is a new form of the drug that has been used in Russia as pills since September 2020. It is based on the synthetic drug Favipiravir, registered in neighboring Japan to treat influenza, and being actively studied as potential anti-COVID medication.

Promomed says it’s the first company in the world to create an injectable form of Favipiravir, which is normally a non-soluble powder.

Areplivir is one of the three Favipiravir-based drugs currently touted as promising treatments for COVID-19 in Russia.

Promomed published the results of clinical trials of the pill form of the drug in October 2020. The paper was published in the Russian peer-reviewed medical journal ‘Infectious Diseases.’

Promomed asserts that Areplivir therapy has led to a speedier recovery in comparison to traditional treatment methods, pointing to the results of the study that showed few to no side effects. The company has not presented any data on the clinical trials of the drug’s injection form.

Areplivir is the latest medication registered around the world for COVID treatment. There are other experimental drugs administered intravenously, including Remdesivir. Debates about the effectiveness and safety of these anti-viral drugs are ongoing, as more patient data pours in.

Source: RT

Header: MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Pictured in this file image dated March 21, 2018, is a laboratory of the Biocad biotechnology company; on March 18, 2020, Biocad announced it had started working on a vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus. File Image/Biocad Press Office/TASS

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Military scientists have created a dietary supplement that reduces the concentration of COVID-19 in the body

Scientists of the 27th Scientific Center (SC) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation have created a unique dietary supplement “KovBAD”, which can reduce the concentration of COVID-19 in a patient by 16 times, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops, General Lieutenant Igor Kirillov.

“After an assessment of their effectiveness against COVID-19 in early November, one of the dietary supplements received a certificate of state registration. Our experiments showed that on the second day of using a dietary supplement to food, called the nasopharynx is reduced by half, and by the sixth, its concentration is reduced by 16 times. As a result, the impact on the human body also decreases, the disease proceeds with fewer complications, “he said.

According to him, the main ingredients of dietary supplements developed in the 27th Scientific Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are chokeberry extract, echinacea, fucoidan, Pacific squid hydrolyzate and other substances of natural origin that increase the antiviral defense of the body.

Scientific institutions of the RF Armed Forces have been working on means to combat COVID from the very beginning of the pandemic. Thus, the 48th Central Research Institute of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection, together with the Gamaleya Center, took part in the development of the Sputnik V vaccine. In addition, the institute’s specialists are creating vaccines against coronavirus in the form of chewing gum.

Source: RIA Novosti

Header: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – FEBRUARY 10, 2021: A medical worker treats a patient at the intensive care unit of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine that treats COVID-19 patients. Sergei Bobylev/TASS

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Beneficii nete ale vaccinului rus față de vaccinurile ARN existente în România

Medicul chirurg Dr. Adina Alberts a prezentat câteva date despre noul vaccin împotriva coronavirusului – CoviVac – lansat recent de Centrul Ciumakov din Sankt Petersburg.

”M-am bucurat când am aflat că Rusia a autorizat și cel de-al treilea vaccin al său”, scrie dr. Alberts, mărturisind – ”Sincer nu am crezut că mă voi bucura așa de tare de vreo realizare a rușilor, vreodată…. Dar iată că mi s-a întâmplat”.

Dr. Alberts arată că vaccinul CoviVac ”este un vaccin obținut utilizând Sars-Cov2 în totalitatea sa, virusul este atenuat, și este inhibată și capacitatea sa de a se multiplica, deci nu poate produce boala”.

În aceste condiții, dr. Alberts prezintă succint ”beneficiile nete pe care le are utilizarea CoviVac vizavi de vaccinurile ARN mesager existente în acest moment “pe piața” din România”:

1. CoviVac utilizează virusul în totalitatea sa, ”astfel că răspunsul imun care se obține este plurivalent, protecția fiind net superioară pentru orice mutație ar fi suferit Sars-Cov 2 până acum, sau pentru cele pe care le va suferi în viitor”, arată dr. Alberts.

2. Tehnologia prin care s-a obținut CoviVac ”este una clasică, foarte cunoscută și pentru care există experiență de mai bine de un secol”, subliniază medicul român.

3. Riscul de apariție a reacțiilor adverse la distanță, ”risc incriminat la utilizarea vaccinurilor ARN mesager, este aproape nul”.

4. ”Disponibilitatea noastră, a tuturor, de a ne vaccina cu un produs obținut într-o maniera clasică despre care lumea medicală cunoaște aproape tot, este mult mai mare, astfel că o campanie de vaccinare care s-ar baza și pe administrarea unor astfel de vaccinuri, ar avansa mult mai rapid”, scrie dr. Adina Alberts.

Foarte utilă idee – dr. Alberts prezintă cele 5 vaccinuri obținute ”prin metoda clasică sau prin tehnologii derivate ale metodei clasice”:

– Sinopharm, China, vaccinul Vero, virus inactivat;

– Sinovac, China, virus inactivat, căzut în desuetudine datorită eficienței reduse, sub 50%;

– Bharat Biotech, India, virus întreg inactivat, avizat și utilizat pe scară largă în India, de curand Brazilia a comandat 20 milioane de doze;

– EpiVacCorona, Rusia, folosește o înlănțuire de proteine denumite peptide, care sunt obținute sintetic, copii exacte ale celor virale;

– CoviVac, Rusia, virus întreg inactivat.

Centrul Federal Științific ”Mihail Ciumakov” din Sankt Petersburg a produs al treilea vaccin împotriva coronavirusului aprobat de Rusia și anunţat chiar de premierul Mihail Mişustin.

CoviVac este administrat în două doze, la interval de 14 zile, iar un avantaj important este transportul şi depozitarea la temperaturi de 2 până la 8 grade Celsius.

”CoviVac, vaccinul pe care l-am dezvoltat reflectă întreaga istorie a ştiinţei vaccinului rus, precum şi a ştiinţei globale”, a declarat directorul Centrului Ciumakov, Aidar Işmuhametov.

Source: SPUTNIK

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Russian scientists deserve Nobel Prize for vaccines against novel coronavirus, says expert

First deputy director for research at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology under the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, associate member of the Academy of Sciences Alexander Gorelov, believes that there are sufficient reasons for nominate the scientists who have developed vaccines against the novel coronavirus for a Nobel Award.

“The vaccine developers should be nominated for the Nobel Award. I believe there are sufficient reasons for this,” he said at a round-table discussion entitled Russian Science and Medicine vs COVID-19. Challenges and Achievements.

Gorelov said that currently there were no alternatives to pre-emptive vaccination and all countries sought to achieve collective immunity, preferably post-vaccination immunity, and not acquired in the natural way.

“It goes without saying that no country around the world can say it has such a diversity of vaccines as Russia: from classical, developed by the Chumakov Center, to innovative, vector vaccines from the Gamaleya Center and the synthetic polypeptide one developed by Vektor,” he said.

“Medics have the right to choose what vaccine should be recommended for a specific patient in accordance with the person’s individual features.

On August 11, 2020 Russia was the first to have registered a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, Sputnik V, from the Gamaleya research center under the Health Ministry.

Later there followed the registration of another domestic vaccine, created by the center Vektor, of the national consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. Very soon the registration of a third vaccine is due. It was developed by the Chumakov Center for Research into and Development of Immune and Biological Products.

The publication of the third clinical trial stage results for Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in The Lancet, a reputable medical journal, proves that the jab is effective in countering the global pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Russia Melita Vujnovic said Wednesday in an interview with Russian TV.

“We welcome the publication, it speaks well about the vaccine efficacy,” she said.

The WHO envoy added that people from high-risk group should be vaccinated first to bring down the mortality rate. She also underlined that it is vital to procure vaccine doses to countries that have no resources to purchase them. “The WHO is actively involved. Talks are underway with all countries at the highest level, we expect support from Russia as well to provide the vaccine to everyone who needs it,” Vujnovic underlined.

The Lancet published the article reviewing results of the third stage of Sputnik V’s clinical trials on Tuesday.

The article notes the highly positive performance of the jab, putting it among the most safe and efficient in the world. The shot efficacy stands at 91.6%, while the result for those aged over 60 is even higher, 91.8% Moreover, 98% of all volunteers who had the Russian vaccine had the antibody response.

Header: Production of ‘Medgamal’ two components COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) at the Gamaleya National Research Centre in Moscow, Russia, August 6, 2020.

Source: TASS

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Third Russian vaccine against COVID-19 to enter circulation in next few months

A third Russian vaccine against the coronavirus should enter civilian circulation in the next few months, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a session of the presidium of the state coordination council to control the coronavirus incidence in the Russian Federation on Tuesday.

“The Healthcare Ministry received paperwork for registration of yet another vaccine by the Chumakov Center, this is already a third product by our scientists,” he noted.

“In the next few months, it will also enter civilian circulation. This will allow expanding inoculation, making it more accessible, which means protecting even more people against the coronavirus,” he explained.

The prime minister reiterated that currently the Sputnik V preparation is predominantly used in the mass inoculation.

“Next month, we will move on to a large-scale production of the EpiVacCorona vaccine. It has already begun to enter civilian circulation. The government allocated over 2 bln rubles [over $26 mln – TASS] for its production,” he added.

The prime minister emphasized that the inoculation has just begun and time should elapse before herd immunity is developed. “That is why it is necessary to continue to observe precautionary measures in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from the infection,” he reiterated.

Source: TASS

Notes:

The Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences has submitted documents for registration of its anti-coronavirus vaccine, Covi-Vac.

The Center has developed its own dead whole-virion vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection. Whole-virion vaccines are based either on artificially weakened viruses incapable of causing a disease or killed (inactivated) viruses.

The vaccine is expected to be registered on February 16.

The Chumakov Center was created on the basis of the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Virus Encephalitis of the USSR. Today the Chumakov Center is a leading world research organization in the sphere of medical virology.

Source: Посольство России в Эстонии / Russian Embassy in Estonia

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“EpiVacCorona”: Vaccinul peptidic anti-COVID-19 [RO]

Vaccinul “EpiVacCorona” are o eficiență imunologică de 100%, potrivit Centrului “Vector” din Novosibirsk, care l-a dezvoltat. Este un preparat sintetic format din fragmente mici de proteină spike SARS-CoV-2 – agentul cauzal al COVID-19.

Vaccinul este testat acum pe mai mult de trei mii de voluntari. În același timp, el a intrat în circulația civilă. Se raportează că are foarte puține efecte secundare, respectiv este potrivit și pentru persoanele în vârstă. Ce trebuie să știe despre acest preparat cei care doresc să se vaccineze cu el – în materialul Sputnik.

Din ce este făcut vaccinul “EpiVacCorona”?

Din trei fragmente scurte ale proteinei spike de coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, care sunt atașate de proteina purtătoare. Aceste fragmente se numesc peptide, de unde și numele vaccinului – peptidic. Proteina purtătoare include în sine fragmente de proteină nucleocapsidă, care înconjoară ARN-ul coronavirusului. În calitate de substanță care îmbunătățește răspunsul imun – adjuvant – a fost ales hidroxidul de aluminiu. De asemena, vaccinul include în sine compuși auxialiari și apă. Toate componentele sunt sintetice.

Ce peptide sunt incluse în vaccin?

După cum a fost informată agenția RIA Novosti de către Centrul de Cercetare de Stat “Vector”, peptidele vaccinale conțin în principal epitopi de celule B, proteina purtătoare servind ca sursă de epitopi T helper. Să explicăm ce înseamnă asta.

SARS-CoV-2 este o moleculă de ARN protejată de un țesut protector extern – o nucleocapsidă. Toate acestea se află într-un sac lipidic, decorat în exterior, ca o coroană, cu proteine mari ​​spike. Din acest motiv și se vorbește despre coronavirus.

Proteinele spike ajută particula virală să se agațe de celula umană și să intre înăuntru. În numeroase studii s-a descoperit faptul că “spinii” acestor proteine provoacă cel mai mare răspuns imunitar din organism. În terminologia biologilor, o proteină spike este un antigen.

Molecula acestei proteine ​​este foarte mare și conține porțiuni speciale – epitopi. Aceștia sunt recunoscuți de către celulele sistemului imunitar, care de altfel și activează mecanismul de combatere al infecției.

“Există epitopi B și epitopi T. Primii sunt numiți determinanți antigenici – porțiuni ale unei molecule de antigen care se leagă de anticorpi. Dar mai întâi, aceste porțiuni se leagă de receptorii limfocitelor B și încep procesul de transformare a acestora în celule plasmatice capabile să producă anticorpi”, spune profesoara Ekaterina Kolesanova, șeful laboratorului de inginerie peptidică din cadrul Institutului de Chimie Biomedicală V. N. Orehovici.

Cu toate acestea, nu totul este atât de simplu. Antigenul este absorbit de limfocitul B ca parte a veziculelor endosomice și se divizează acolo în fragmente mici. Proteinele care alcătuiesc principalul complex de histocompatibilitate de clasa a II-a se leagă de endozomi. “Aceste proteine ​​prind unele fragmente de antigen, de obicei au o lungime de 14-20 reziduuri de aminoacizi lungi, care nu se aseamănă cu fragmentele proteinelor ​​ale organismului gazdă. Aici are loc recunoașterea propriu-străin”, continuă expertul.

Mai departe, proteinele complexului principal de histocompatibilitate, împreună cu fragmente de antigen, se expun pe suprafața limfocitelor B. Și aici deja sunt recunoscute de celulele speciale ale sistemului imunitar – T helpers. Ele se leagă de limfocitele B și le activează. “Pentru ca un vaccin să producă anticorpi, acesta trebuie să conțină atât epitopii B, cât și epitopii T helper ai antigenilor patogeni”, subliniază profesoara Kolesanova.

Cum funcționează vaccinul?

Ca rezultat al vaccinării, proteina purtătoare livrează toate cele trei peptide către limfocitul B uman. Ele îl activează și încep să se producă anticorpi de protecție – imunoglobuline. Fiecare epitop B este responsabil pentru sinteza unei imunoglobuline unice. Mai întâi se formează anticorpii de clasa M (IgM), apoi – IgG, dar ei rămân în sânge cel mai mult timp, indicând imunitatea.

Centrul “Vector” confirmă faptul că anticorpii, care rezultă din vaccinare, sunt specifici proteinei spike a coronavirusului. Serurile de sânge de la voluntarii imunizați prezintă activitate de neutralizare a virusului. Acest lucru înseamnă că anticorpii sunt capabili nu numai să recunoască coronavirusul, ci și să îl distrugă.

“EpiVacCorona” conține coronavirus sau alt virus?

Nu conține viruși și nici părți ale acestora. Prin acest lucru acest vaccin și se diferențiază de “Sputnik V”, care conține adenovirusuri. “EpiVacCorona” nu conține ARN, ADN, niciun fel de ingrediente vii, conservanți sau antibiotice. Compoziția este descrisă în detaliu pe site-ul Rospotrebnadzorului, precum și în instrucțiile vaccinului, disponibile pe Internet.

“EpiVacCorona” conține peptide – fragmente de proteine ​​identice cu cele ale coronavirusului. Acestea au fost sintetizate artificial și atașate de proteina purtătoare – o proteină himerică cu elemente nucleoproteice (proteinei ​​N) ale coronavirusului SARS-CoV-2. Conform brevetului RU2738081, înregistrat de Centrul “Vector”, bacteria E. coli ajută la sintetizarea acesteia.

“Gena proteinei N este fuzionată cu gena unei proteine bacteriene foarte solubile în apă care leagă maltoza (maltose-binding protein, MBP). Ambele sunt sintetizate ca o singură proteină himerică. Este ușor de lucrat cu ea”, explică Ekaterina Kolesanova. Peptidele selectate sunt atașate de proteina himerică printr-o reacție chimică pentru a forma o legătură covalentă.

Cum se creează un vaccin peptidic?

Cu ajutorul sintezei chimice a peptidelor – prin procesul de extensie secvențială a lanțului din reziduuri individuale de aminoacizi.

“Dacă peptida este scurtă – nu mai mult de opt până la zece reziduuri, sinteza este posibilă în soluție. Ia mai mult timp, dar este mai ieftin. Peptidele mai lungi sunt sintetizate prin metoda în fază solidă – anterior pur experimentală, dar acum este utilizată din ce în ce mai mult și în producție, deoarece este ușor de automatizat. O peptidă de opt reziduuri de aminoacizi prin metoda în fază solidă este sintetizată în două ore, cel mult în 24 de ore, în funcție de dimensiuni, secvența de aminoacizi și caracteristicile echipamentului. Urmează purificarea, de obicei prin cromatografie lichidă de înaltă eficiență. Acest lucru se face destul de rapid, deși nu este ieftin”, spune Ekaterina Kolesanova.

Peptidele sintetice sunt combinate (conjugate) cu o proteină purtătoare. Acest lucru este necesar, printre altele, și pentru a obține molecule stabile. Cu cât peptidele sunt mai scurte, cu atât se descompun mai repede.

“Metoda conjugării este un secret al companiei, principalul lucru este cel de a nu perturba structura epitopilor și, dacă este necesar, de a le permite să se detașeze de proteina purtătoare după intrarea în organism sau în interiorul celulei care prezintă antigenul. Adjuvantul declanșează un răspuns inflamator local și atrage celule care prezintă antigeni la locul vaccinului”, spune cercetătoarea.

Cum se face vaccinul?

Vaccinul este eliberat sub formă de suspensie și injectat cu o seringă în mușchiul umărului. Preparatele peptidice nu dau un răspuns imun puternic și rapid, prin urmare “EpiVacCorona” se administrează de două ori în doze egale la un interval de 21 de zile.

Care sunt efectele secundare?

Voluntarii din studiile clinice de fază I-II au raportat durere ușoară la locul injectării, care trecea rapid. Nu au fost semnalate alte probleme.

Pe canalul neoficial Telegram #EpiVacCorona, creat de participanții la studiile de post-înregistrare (faza III), se raportează efecte secundare minime: disconfort, roșeață la locul injectării timp de 24 de ore, dureri severe în regiunea umărului. Nimeni nu a avut febră mare, dureri extreme sau nu a fost posibilă confirmarea legăturii acestor efecte secundare cu vaccinul.

Care este eficacitatea vaccinului “EpiVacCorona”?

“Există eficacitate imunologică și profilactică. Prima reprezintă producerea de anticorpi specifici. Conform rezultatelor fazelor I-II ale studiilor clinice, la toți voluntarii s-au format anticorpi specifici. Eficacitatea profilactică reprezintă protecția persoanelor vaccinate împotriva bolii. Cercetările continuă în cadrul studiilor clinice post-înregistrare, datele vor fi în februarie”, a comentat serviciul de presă al Rospotrebnadzorului.

Studiile clinice de fază I-II nu au fost încă finalizate, a precizat Centrul de Cercetare de Stat “Vector”. Există doar rezultate intermediare.

Acum, se desfășoară un studiu randomizat dublu-orb cu un grup placebo. Oamenii sunt împărțiți aleatoriu în grupuri. Nici voluntarii, nici medicii nu știu cine primește vaccinul și cine primește soluție fiziologică. Din cei 3000 de participanți, 2897 au fost vaccinați, iar un sfert au primit placebo. Studiile vor fi finalizate peste 180 de zile după ce ultimul voluntar va fi vaccinat.

În același timp, sunt în desfășurare testări pe 150 de voluntari cu vârsta de peste 60 de ani. Datele preliminare pentru acest grup vor fi anunțate la fel în februarie.

Cum pot testa singur eficiența vaccinului?

Prin efectuarea unui test de sânge pentru anticorpii IgG la proteina S a coronavirusului nu mai devreme de 35-42 de zile după prima administrare a vaccinului. Cu toate acestea, nu toate sistemele de testare pot vedea anticorpii produși de “EpiVacCorona”.

Potrivit Rospotrebnadzorului, numai sistemul de testare “SARS-CoV-2-IgG-Vector”, dezvoltat de către Centrul de Cercetare de Stat “Vector”, este potrivit în acest scop. “Are o sensibilitate ridicată și o specificitate în detectarea anticorpilor la anumite porțiuni ale coronavirusului, care au fost utilizate în vaccinul EpiVacCorona”, se spune pe site-ul instituției.

“Potrivit observației unui grup limitat, s-a constatat că sistemul de testare SARS-CoV-2-RBD-ELISA-Gamalei dă un rezultat pozitiv la majoritatea persoanelor imunizate cu vaccinul peptidic “EpiVacCorona”. Potrivit producătorului, sistemul de testare – “Un set de reactivi pentru imunoanaliza enzimatică a imunoglobulinelor de clasa G la domeniul de legare a receptorilor glicoproteinei de suprafață S (spike) a coronavirusului SARS-CoV-2” – arată “exact anticorpii protectori de neutralizare a virusului împotriva SARS-CoV-2” și permite să se determine “dacă pacientul are anticorpi de protecție”, a precizat Centrul “Vector”.

În plus, potrivit dezvoltatorilor, proteina S1 recombinantă, fabricată de firma Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals, “vede” bine anticorpii vaccinului “EpiVacCorona”.

Conform observațiilor voluntarilor fazei a III-a, care au dat independent testele, anticorpi IgG au fost detectați la trei – care au primit prima inoculare în luna decembrie a anului trecut.

Cine mai dezvoltă vaccinuri peptidice împotriva coronavirusului?

Vaccinurile peptidice din întreaga lume se află la un stadiu experimental. Dezvoltarea și testarea lor necesită foarte multă forță de muncă, de aceea rămân în urma vaccinurilor ARNm, vectoriale și inactivate/ucise. Rusia are suficiente resurse și personal calificat pentru a rezolva această problemă de sine stătător.

Pe lista OMS la data de 19 ianuarie, pe lângă “EpiVacCorona”, mai există încă două vaccinuri peptidice-candidate. Ele sunt în curs de testare pe oameni.

“Cocktailul” multipeptid P-pVAC-SARS-CoV-2, creat de Universitatea din Tübingen (Germania), constă din șase peptide din diferite proteine ​​ale coronavirusului și din o lipopeptidă XS15 de dezvoltare proprie în calitate de adjuvant. Prima fază a testărilor clinice este în curs de desfășurare.

Preparatul UB-612 al companiei taiwaneze United Biomedical Inc., Asia și al companie americane COVAXX include în sine fragmente a două subunități de proteine ​​S (care vizează răspunsul celulei B) și epitopi T din proteine ​​de membrană și nucleocapsidă pentru formarea unui răspuns al celulei T. Sunt în curs de desfășurare studiile clinice de fază II-III.

Header: In this handout photo taken on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, and provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund, an employee shows a new vaccine at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP)

Original: SPUTNIK

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Russia: Five volunteers older than 60 inoculated with EpiVacCorona vaccine

The first five volunteers aged older than 60 have been inoculated with the first dose of Russia’s EpiVacCorona vaccine as part of post-registration tests, the press service of Russia’s sanitary watchdog said on Monday.

“On November 21, 2020, the first five volunteers from among a group of 150 people older than 60 received the first dose of the EpiVacCorona vaccine,” it said.

According to the sanitary watchdog, 150 volunteers older than 60 have already been selected, whereas selection of volunteers aged between 18 and 60 continues. As many as 3,000 volunteers will take part in the vaccine tests.

The vaccine was developed by the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. On July 24, the Center received a Russian Health Ministry permit for clinical trials of its anti-coronavirus vaccine on volunteers. The first volunteer was inoculated on July 27. The final group of 20 volunteers was released from hospital on September 8. The vaccine’s clinical trials were completed on September 30.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 14 that the Vector-developed vaccine had received registration.

On November 16, the Health Ministry issued a permit for post-registration trials of the vaccine on volunteers older than 60.

On November 18, a permit was granted to conduct tests on 3,000 volunteers older than 18.

Header: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 – Ampoules with EpiVakKorona, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). Rospotrebnadzor Press Office/TASS

Source: TASS

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Sputnik V: Contracting coronavirus possible between 1st and 2nd injections — vaccine developer

Contracting the novel coronavirus is possible between the first and second injections of the anti-coronavirus vaccine as immunity develops on the 21st day after the first jab on average, becoming stable three weeks after the second shot, the director of the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (developer of the Sputnik V vaccine), Alexander Gintsburg, said in the wake of reports that a group of medics in Tomsk had been infected after vaccination.

“Vaccination against the novel coronavirus infection with the vaccine Sputnik V is done in two stages. Human body begins to develop immunity after the first injection, but a stable immunity against the novel coronavirus emerges about three weeks after the second shot, which is administered on the 21st day after the first one. During the period between the injections it is possible to contract the infection, while the vaccine Sputnik V proper can by no means be a source of the infection, because it does not contain the coronavirus,” Gintsburg said.

He stressed that the immunity that begins to develop after the first shot enables patients to experience a milder form of the disease. “Until stable immunity has been developed all those vaccinated with Sputnik V must take precautions recommended by the authorities,” Gintsburg added.

Earlier, the anti-coronavirus task force in the Tomsk Region said five out of the 42 medics vaccinated against COVID-19 in the region, tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection. All of them feel well. Three either lack any clinical manifestations of the disease or experience the mild form. The condition of two is moderate.

Source: TASS

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Mass vaccination with Vector center’s coronavirus vaccine to begin in 2021

Mass vaccination with a coronavirus vaccine developed by Russia’s State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector is expected to take place in 2021, the center’s Director General Rinat Maksyutov told the government’s coronavirus information website.

“A mass vaccination campaign is expected to begin in 2021,” he said.

According to Maksyutov, vaccination will be voluntary and free for Russian citizens. Medical, education and transport workers, police officers and other employees whose work brings them into contact with large numbers of people, will have a chance to get vaccinated before others.

Post-registration trials

Mass vaccination with a coronavirus vaccine developed by Russia’s State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector is expected to take place in 2021, the center’s Director General Rinat Maksyutov told the government’s coronavirus information website.

“A mass vaccination campaign is expected to begin in 2021,” he said.

According to Maksyutov, vaccination will be voluntary and free for Russian citizens. Medical, education and transport workers, police officers and other employees whose work brings them into contact with large numbers of people, will have a chance to get vaccinated before others.

Post-registration trials

Post-registration trials phase of the EpiVacCorona vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the Vector сenter will begin in November-December on 40,000 volunteers, Rinat Maksyutov said.

“The launch of several post-registration trials is planned for November – December 2020. They will last six months from the date of inoculation of the last volunteer,” he said.

The developer explained that one of the advantages of the vaccine is its “effectiveness against genetically and antigenically distinct strains,” since the preparation contains a part of a macromolecule of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen, recognized by the immune system.

“As opposed to a vector vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, and to an inactivated vaccine of the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the EpiVacCorona vaccine contains only short sequences of the viral protein, peptides, necessary for the formation of the immune response,” the scientist explained.

On July 24, the Vector center received permission from the Russian Health Ministry to conduct clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine, named EpiVacCorona, on volunteers. That phase of trials completed on September 30 and the vaccine was registered in mid-October. The center plans to launch post-registration trials of the vaccine involving 40,000 volunteers.

Header: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 6, 2020: Ampoules with EpiVakKorona, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). Rospotrebnadzor Press Office/TASS

Source: TASS

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Scientists discover ‘devastating’ NEW genetic disease that’s killed 40% of known patients by attacking lungs and immune system

The disease – ‘vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic syndrome’ – has been dubbed VEXAS. It causes symptoms that include blood clots in veins, recurrent fevers, abnormalities in the lungs, and vacuoles – unusual cavity-like structures – in the myeloid cells, which play a crucial part in the human immune system.

Researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) came across the disease after analyzing the genome sequences of more than 2,500 people with undiagnosed inflammatory diseases. In comparing the data, they found that 25 adult males had particular mutations in the UBA1 gene, which is believed to be the source of VEXAS.

“Instead of looking at clinical similarities, we were instead taking advantage of shared genomic similarities that could help us discover a completely new disease,” said Daniel Kastner, the scientific director of the Intramural Research Program at the National Human Genome Research Institute.

The NIH reported that the new disease “can be life-threatening,” as 40 percent of the VEXAS patients the researchers studied have died. The high death toll revealed “the devastating consequences of the severe condition,” the team stated.

Kastner told NBC News that patients with VEXAS become “really sick,” and “don’t respond to any treatments, from high doses of steroids to various chemotherapies.”

Source: RT

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Scientists publish results of first two phases of Sputnik V clinical trials

Russian scientists presented preliminary results of the first two phases of clinical trials of two different forms of the Sputnik V vaccine on 76 volunteers which confirmed that both forms of the vaccine are safe for humans and stimulate their immune system to develop antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The study results were published in the Lancet journal.

“These data collectively show that the heterologous vaccine based on rAd26-S and rAd5-S is safe, well tolerated, and does not cause serious adverse events in healthy adult volunteers. The vaccine is highly immunogenic and induces strong humoral and cellular immune responses in 100% of healthy adult volunteers, with antibody titres in vaccinated participants higher than those in convalescent plasma,” the researchers wrote.

On August 11, Russia became the first worldwide to register the vaccine against the coronavirus which was named Sputnik V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center and passed clinical trials in June – July. It is based on a known platform previously used for other vaccines. On August 15, the Healthcare Ministry announced the production launch of the preparation. The third post-registration phase of clinical trials of the vaccine began on August 25.

Russian vaccine consists of two components based on two different strains of adenovirus, rAd26-S и rAd5-S.

The researchers weakened those pathogens and modified their genomes in such a way so that they deliver the coronavirus RNA fragments to human cells, forcing them to produce a large amount of its membrane proteins.

These molecules infiltrate immune cells making them produce antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus dealt a double blow

“To form a powerful immune response against SARS-CoV-2, it is important that a booster vaccination is provided. However, booster vaccinations that use the same adenovirus vector might not produce an effective response because the immune system may recognize and attack the vector. <…> For our vaccine, we use two different adenovirus vectors in a bid to avoid the immune system becoming immune to the vector,” one of the authors of the article, Deputy Research Director at the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Denis Logunov said.

According to the researchers, clinical trials of a vaccine were conducted using two different variants of Sputnik V.

Some volunteers received injections of rAd26-S and rAd5-S cultures which were stored in a frozen form and others were vaccinated with a freeze-dried form of a vaccine. The booster shots were administered approximately five days after the first injection. The frozen vaccine was tested at one of the branches of the Burdenko Military Hospital, while the freeze-dried one was tested in the clinic of the Sechenov University.

As subsequent observations demonstrated, both adenoviruses and both vaccine formulations were equally safe for the volunteers. They elicited a number of mild side effects, such as pain at injection site or elevated body temperature but over 42 days of trials the researchers have registered no potentially life-threatening complications.

Overall, both vaccine formulations turned out to be approximately equally effective causing all volunteers to develop antibodies to the coronavirus and teaching T-cells to recognize this threat. According to the scientists, the booster dose has elevated significantly the effectiveness of the Sputnik V vaccine, since after a single injection the antibodies were developed in only 60% of volunteers.

The researchers hope that the vaccine developed by them will be equally successful during larger-scale clinical trials approved on August 26. Over 40,000 volunteers of all age groups will participate in them.

Header: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – JULY 31, 2020: The first vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection is developed by the Gamaleya Federal Research Centre for Epidemiology. Gam-COVID-Vac is a viral vector two-component vaccine based on human adenovirus. Dmitry Kurakin/Health Ministry of the Russian Federation/TASS

Source: TASS