Moscow, July 13 : Even as Oxford University’s vaccine was being considered to be the front runner in the race against COVID-19, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University in Russia has completed clinical trials of what they claim to be the world’s first vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Vadim Tarasov, director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, confirmed the news, according to a Sputnik News report. Clinical trials of the vaccine produced by Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology started on June 18, the report said.
Two groups of volunteers were selected for clinical trials. The first group will be allowed to leave in two-three days and the second one will be discharged on July 20.
Alexander Lukashev, director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical, and Vector-Borne Diseases at Sechenov University, said that the study has been done to check the vaccine’s safety when given to human beings, which has been successfully done.
Now that the safety has been confirmed, the vaccines that are already in the market are safe too.
The manufacturer is planning to develop the vaccine that will include the “complexity of the epidemiological situation with the virus”. The focus will also be on ramping up the vaccine’s production.
The director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology Vadim Tarasov confirmed the development to Sputnik news.
“Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world`s first vaccine against coronavirus,” Tarasov said.
He said the university had began clinical trials of the vaccine on June 18. The first group of volunteers would be discharged on Wednesday and the second on July 20. The vaccine has been produced by Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia.
“The data obtained by the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, proves that volunteers of the first and second groups are forming an immune response after injections of the vaccine against the coronavirus,” an earlier statement of the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases at Sechenov University Alexander Lukashev said the safety of this vaccine, in correspondance with the safety of other medicines available in the market, is confirmed.
With this Russia has become the first nation to complete human clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine and the results prove the medication`s effectiveness.
However, there was no further information on when this vaccine would enter the commercial production stage.
There are at least 21 vaccines currently under key trials, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
(With Agency inputs)
