The Russian vaccine Covid-19 was highly effective in testing, according to a study, which boosted Moscow’s ambitions

The study could be a significant milestone for Moscow in the global vaccination race, as it could offer President Vladimir Putin’s government the geopolitical influence of the developing world and the opportunity to take advantage of the lucrative global vaccine market. Russia, the fourth most affected country in the world with nearly four million cases, has also seized Sputnik V to prevent costly new closures, as authorities plan to vaccinate 60 percent of the national population by the end of year.

The shooting, which was approved by Russian authorities in August before undergoing large-scale clinical trials, has raised questions in light of its accelerated development and the lack of published trial data. To date, Sputnik V has been administered to more than two million people worldwide, including in Argentina, Serbia and Algeria, according to Russian authorities.

Tuesday’s results could help clear up doubts about the Russian shot.

“The development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticized for undue rush, cuts and lack of transparency,” wrote virology professors Ian Jones of the University of Reading in the UK and Polly Roy of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Lancet. “But the result collected here is clear and demonstrates the scientific principle of vaccination, which means another vaccine can now join the fight to reduce the incidence of Covid-19.”

Alexander Gintsburg, head of the vaccine developer, the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, said the data demonstrate the safety and high efficacy of Sputnik V against the virus.

This “is a great success in the global battle against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

The efficacy rate of Sputnik V is compared with vaccines developed by Moderna Inc.

and Pfizer Inc.

and its German partner BioNTech SE,

effective around 95%.

The Lancet study did not address the usefulness of the shot against new variants of the virus, amid some early evidence to suggest that strains may be resistant to current vaccines. Russian officials have said they expect the shot to work against other variants and that studies will continue.

The results released on Tuesday were based on a tentative analysis of a phase 3 trial of nearly 20,000 participants, of whom three-quarters received the vaccine while the rest received a placebo. The analysis was based on a total of 78 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 62 of which were identified in the placebo group and 16 in the vaccine group. The clinical trial, with a total of 40,000 volunteers, is underway.

The researchers found that the Covid-19 vaccine did not cause serious side effects, according to the Lancet. Most side effects included simple symptoms, pain at the injection site and headaches.

Among the elderly, the vaccine was well tolerated and showed an efficacy of 91.8%, based on a group of 2,144 volunteers over the age of 60, according to the newspaper.

Like other Covid-19 vaccines, including those developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University, Sputnik V uses a method called a viral vector. It introduces a genetically modified form of a harmless virus, known as the adenovirus, to serve as a vehicle — or vector — for a fragment of coronavirus genetic material.

Each of the two vaccine vaccines is based on a different adenovirus vector, which according to Russian scientists achieves a stronger immune response. Sputnik V has simpler logistics requirements compared to some of its peers, with a storage and transport temperature of between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pfizer vaccine should be kept below 94 degrees Fahrenheit before thawing.

With Sputnik V, a reference to the satellite that the Soviet Union launched into orbit ahead of the United States in the Cold War space race, Russia could gain influence with some countries, analysts say, in addition to participating in a world market for coronavirus vaccines estimated by Russian officials at $ 100 billion annually.

Competing for the price, Russia sells the vaccine for less than $ 10 per dose, lower than Pfizer and Moderna, and targets up to 30% market share between Covid-19 shots in countries that buy Sputnik, according to Russian officials.

AstraZeneca has said it will test whether a combination of its Covid-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be between 62% and 90% effective depending on the dose, and Sputnik V can increase effectiveness. Clinical trials of a combined trait are expected to begin soon in Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.

Some fifteen countries outside of Russia have already authorized Sputnik V and Moscow has received orders or expressions of interest for 2.4 billion doses, including from Brazil, Mexico and India. In an attempt to speed up the global launch, Russia will also offer a single-dose vaccine, called Sputnik Light, which Russian authorities say would be between 73% and 85% effective.

To produce its vaccine, Russia relies on a global supply chain, which includes manufacturing centers in Brazil, South Korea, India and China. Russia has also organized an aggressive overseas public relations campaign, which includes weekly posting of videos in English and maintaining a Twitter account for Sputnik V.

Sputnik V has not been approved by Western health authorities nor has it received authorization from the World Health Organization, on which many developing countries depend to examine vaccines. Russia is in talks with the European Medicines Agency on the approval of the shooting in the European Union and has applied for WHO authorization.

National deployment has also faced challenges, including delays in production and the skeptical population.

Authorities have recently said that manufacturing is now increasing after initial equipment problems. They now expect to produce 11 million doses this month, up from seven million in January.

About 46% of Russians said they would get a vaccine in a January poll by British firm Ipsos MORI, a 5 percentage point increase over December. Still, Russians were among the most reluctant to inoculate themselves globally, compared to 55% in France, 63% in the US and 86% in the UK.

Russia does not publish daily vaccination rates, but regional data show that at least 1.3 million Russians have received a dose so far.

Irina Levashova, a nursery school teacher in Romodanovo, a small town about 400 kilometers southeast of Moscow, received her second shot last month along with her husband.

“I have many acquaintances who have been ill or even died from this disease, so I wanted to protect myself and my family,” said Ms. Levashova, 58, who added that she experienced no side effects. important secondary. “As soon as they started talking about vaccinations, I immediately told myself that my family and I would do it.”

—Valentina Ochirova contributed to this article

Write to Georgi Kantchev to [email protected]