The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) yesterday announced new positive real-world data of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of San Marino on efficacy of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine as well as upcoming plans for new vaccine products against COVID during the joint press conference with the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, RDIF; Alexander Gintsburg, Director, and Denis Logunov, Deputy Director, Gamaleya Center participated in a global press-conference making several major announcements and taking questions from the media. RDIF announced the real-world data of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of San Marino on the Russian Sputnik V vaccine demonstrating it is 80 per cent effective against coronavirus infection from sixth to eighth months after administering the second dose.
Efficacy of Sputnik V on six-to-eight months is much higher than the officially published efficacy of mRNA vaccines. Sputnik team believes that adenoviral vaccines provide for longer efficacy than mRNA vaccines due to longer antibody and T-cell response. During the conference, speakers shared the news on the Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine for adolescents as well as an intranasal vaccine. Russia’s Health Ministry is to register Sputnik M vaccine for adolescents aged 12-17 today. It will become a new member of the Sputnik vaccines family and will be offered to international markets joining Sputnik V and Sputnik Light. As there is currently a surge of COVID cases in Europe, RDIF raises the point of finding a long-term effective scientific solution. With mRNA vaccines demonstrating waning efficacy, it is important to look at vaccine efficacy in five-to-six months, not two-to-three months like was done previously, and explore heterologous boosting with other vaccines to lengthen immunity created by mRNA vaccines. RDIF and Sputnik team have taken the lead in offering a vaccine combination approach to other producers and the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine as a universal booster.
A number of combination studies (Argentina, Azerbaijan) have demonstrated that the immune response from boosting with Sputnik Light is much higher vs two shots of the same vaccine. In December 2021, additional real-world data on long-term Sputnik V efficacy will be released in other countries. Antibody testing was also a focus of the press conference. As it allows to measure vaccine effectiveness, speakers recommended other countries to use it more. This tool may become more important than vaccination certificates based on a specific vaccine. RDIF and Sputnik team are standing for a more open, transparent and partnering approach between vaccine producers and confirm willingness to join efforts in the global fight against coronavirus.