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RUSSIA is willing to share with the Philippines its technology in the manufacture of a vaccine for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), said Ambassador Igor Khovaev.
He added that technology transfer could be one of the promising projects between the two countries.
Russia has developed three Covid-19 vaccines: Sputnik V, named after the first Russian satellite that meant a “breakthrough”, from the Gamaleya Institute; EpiVac Corona by the epidemiological laboratory of the Siberian city of Novosibirsk; and an unnamed vaccine created by another Russian research institute.
“I would like to remind you that Russia is the only country that offers not only to sell vaccines, but also to produce them here in the Philippines because we believe that if the vaccine is produced locally it would be for each and every Filipino.” Khovaev told The Manila Times in an interview.
“Starting today, brilliant Russian scientists [have] invented three vaccines, Sputnik V is the first. We now have three vaccines. And we want to have as many vaccines as possible because each and every vaccine can be more efficient in the circumstances and less efficient in other conditions, ”he said.
The envoy noted that all vaccines must undergo clinical trials.
“But in our opinion, all of them are safe and efficient and we are ready to share our technologies with any interested country. But the vaccine that has already been tested on a larger scale is Sputnik V. That is why we propose that this vaccine be applied, that it be used here in the Philippines, “he added.
“We are ready to share our technology either to give access to our sophisticated technologies to our Filipino partners in order to co-produce the vaccine here on Philippine soil,” said the Russian envoy.
“We are not jealous. And we are not afraid of any competition. We are highly competitive and we offer in terms of vaccine what we are using in our own country, it is not a dream. It is a product that exists ”, he pointed out.
When asked if Russian investors would like to set up a pharmaceutical plant in the country, Khovaev said: “Yes, so that Russian investors and Russian technologies can come to the Philippines.”
“We need reliable business partners here in the Philippines to combine efforts and launch Russian vaccine manufacturing here,” he continued.
“But everything must be done step by step and in full compliance with all relevant Philippine national regulations. Therefore, the first step should be joint clinical trials in the final phase, phase 3, ”said Khovaev.
The ambassador said that joint clinical trials would dispel doubts about the safety and efficacy of the Russian vaccine.
“So now we are working closely with your Department of Science and Technology, so we have the products here, [you] give us contacts. So the Department of Science and Technology told us [they are going] provide 1,000 Filipino volunteers for joint clinical trials here in the Philippines, ”added Khovaev.
He said that Russia is awaiting the DoST post-evaluation report on the research work on the outcome of the clinical trials, phase 1 and phase 2, carried out with the Sputnik V vaccine.
“If your evaluation is positive, we hope that it will be so, it will pave the way for the launch of joint clinical trials in the final phase, phase 3,” Khovaev said.
The ambassador acknowledged that testing procedures must be in accordance with the policies of the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.
“Everything must be done according to your domestic procedures. But we believe that all procedures should be implemented as quickly as possible because, first of all, it involves millions and millions of lives, ”he said.
Khovaev revealed that one of the Russian vaccines had already been tested on a daughter of President Vladimir Putin. “The Russian vaccine has already been tested on many members of the Russian government. Vaccination in Russia had already started ”.
He clarified that the vaccine was tested and at least 40,000 people were vaccinated.
“That’s why we talk about combining efforts in terms of vaccines. It should not be unfair competition. It should be a reason to combine efforts because Covid-19 is our common enemy and can only be defeated if we combine our efforts, ”he said.
“All of us, all countries, big or small, it doesn’t matter. That is why we sincerely wish other research institutes success in their efforts to invent their vaccines, ”Khovaev said.
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