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The trial will begin in that country at the end of this month.
In July 2020, R-Pharm signed a license agreement with AstraZeneca to produce and distribute doses of its adenovirus-based COVID-19 injection. Under that agreement, R-Pharm would export the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to the markets of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an economic group of nine countries that includes Russia and the post-Soviet republics, the Middle East and the Balkans.
Both vaccines involve two doses, an initial injection and a booster injection, and use harmless adenoviruses as vehicles or vectors to carry genetic instructions to the body for cells to produce antibodies. However, Sputnik uses different viral vectors for its two injections.
The Azerbaijani trial is just one of many to be carried out under a clinical research program announced in December last year, involving multiple countries and multiple partners.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Gamaleya National Center, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, AstraZeneca, and the Russian pharmaceutical company, R-Pharm, reported in late 2020 that they had signed an agreement. . aimed at the development and implementation of a clinical research program to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the combined use of one of the components of the Sputnik V vaccine and one of the components of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
In relation to today’s developments, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said: “We need to join our international efforts and use the most advanced solutions to defeat the coronavirus. A publication in the leading peer-reviewed medical journal, The Lancet, showed that Sputnik V is 91.6% effective. It is only one of the three vaccines in the world with an efficacy greater than 90%. We are ready to develop cooperation with other manufacturers to increase the number of affordable and effective drugs. “
Alexey Repik, the chairman of the R-Pharm board, also chimed in, saying: “R-Pharm has been actively working with the Republic of Azerbaijan for several years, we opened a modern production plant here in 2019, later in 2020, we registered two drugs from our anti-COVID portfolio: Artlegia and Coronavir. This pilot study is vital to developing a new approach to COVID-19 prevention; furthermore, the main scientific and clinical centers of Azerbaijan will be able to make their own important contribution in this direction ”.
Sputnik V vaccine
The Sputnik V vaccine combines two different vectors based on human adenovirus, which the developer claims allows for a stronger and longer-term immune response compared to vaccines that use the same vector for two injections.
“This regimen is one of the reasons why the vaccine is more than 90% effective, with full protection against severe cases. Among the major COVID-19 vaccines, only Sputnik V is using the technology of two different vectors. “
COVID-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine
Developed by the University of Oxford in conjunction with Vaccitech, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine uses a replication-defective chimpanzee viral vector based on an attenuated version of the common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infection in chimpanzees and contains SARS genetic material. -CoV. -2 peak protein.
After vaccination, the surface peak protein is synthesized, leading to the formation of an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 with possible subsequent infection with this virus.
A trial in the UK also looks at the combination of approved vaccines
Last week, the University of Oxford announced that it was involved in a trial, backed by UK government funding to the tune of £ 7 million (US $ 9.5 million), looking at whether to inoculate volunteers with doses of different combinations two currently approved COVID-19 vaccines, It would be effective. Hopefully, the idea is to provide flexibility in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Organizers want to test a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine followed by a booster with the Pfizer vaccine or an additional dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, or a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine followed by a booster with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine . vaccine or an additional dose of Pfizer.
Two different dosing schedules will be evaluated in the trial: at a four-week interval for an early interim data reading and at a 12-week interval to compare with current UK policy.
Already recruiting, organizers are focusing on enrolling people 50 and older who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine.
