Russia’s Initial COVID-19 Vaccine Declared Completed

Clinical studies of the coronavirus vaccine Gam-COVID-Vac ‘are over’, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced.

"Clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology are complete, and paperwork is underway for the vaccine’s registration," reported TASS on August 1, 2020.

The Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine intends to reduce the time taken for the actual development of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vaccination will be offered free of charge during a mass vaccination campaign against the new betacoronavirus during October 2020, the Health Minister added.

In addition, Murashko stated: ‘I expect that developers of 2 other vaccines will request permission to start clinical trials on volunteers in the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Gam-COVID-Vac is an adenoviral-based vaccine and uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.

And, it is a vector vaccine based on adenovirus DNA, in which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus gene is integrated. 

Adenovirus is used as a “container” to deliver the coronavirus gene to cells, start the synthesis of the envelope proteins of the new coronavirus “introducing” the immune system to a potential enemy.

The two-stage non-randomized Phase 1/2 study of the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the drug Gam-COVID-Vac solution for intramuscular administration, with the participation of (38) healthy volunteers, was last updated on July 7, 2020.

This Russian vaccine was developed by the same government labs that developed what is claimed “an effective against the Ebola virus, as well as a vaccine against the MERS coronavirus.”

The Russian Direct Investment Fund provided support to facilitate partnerships, including that with Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Central Research Institute of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops.

Precision Vaccinations publishes vaccine development news.