An worker holds a vial containing Sputnik V vaccine versus the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) made with components and innovation provided by Russia at Brazilian pharmaceutical business Uniao Quimica in Guarulhos, Brazil May 20, 2021.
Amanda Perobelli|Reuters
Russia has actually emphatically rejected brand-new allegations declaring that Russian spies took the “blueprint” for the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine and utilized it to produce its own Sputnik V shot, with the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund calling the claims “scientific nonsense.”
There have actually been fresh reports in the British press today declaring that U.K. security services informed British ministers they had strong evidence that Russia took the plan for the British- made vaccine and utilized it to produce Sputnik V.
The Sun tabloid paper initially reported the accusations made by the British security services although Downing Street decreased to comment. It’s not the very first time that Russia has actually been implicated of attempting to take and hack Covid vaccine information however Moscow has actually consistently rejected the allegations, with RDIF calling the current report “fake” and a “blatant lie.”
The head of the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, RDIF, echoed that belief on Wednesday, calling the allegations a “scientific nonsense.”
“There is no benefit [to these claims] and we’re really clear about this,” Kirill Dmitriev informed CNBC onWednesday “This report is a complete scientific nonsense, it has zero merit and frankly it’s a lie.”
Calling the report “nonsense from anonymous sources,” Dmitriev stated the current allegations belonged to a “character assassination versus Sputnik V since some political leaders do not like Russia and since some huge pharma business, who hesitate of the success of Sputnik V, continue to attack Sputnik V and Sputnik Light [its one-dose booster shot] from the first day, so we’re utilized to these attacks,” he informed CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe.”
Dmitriev firmly insisted that the designers behind Sputnik V wished to be partners with other vaccine manufacturers and mentioned a joint medical trial accompanying AstraZeneca (to identify if combined Covid vaccine dosages work), keeping in mind “we believe in a joint approach to working with other vaccine producers and Sputnik V is a partner to other vaccines.”
What’s next
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, or RDIF, is among the world’s leading sovereign funds with a reserved capital of $10 billion under management. The fund backed the advancement of Russia’s primary coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, which was the very first Covid vaccine worldwide to be licensed– by Russia– in August 2020.
The Sputnik V vaccine has actually been the topic of suspicion– initially over its medical information and effectiveness– and most just recently, allegations over its origin and advancement.
Interim analysis of stage 3 medical trials of the shot, including 20,000 individuals and released in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet in early February, discovered that it was 91.6% reliable versus symptomatic Covid-19 infection.
Still, the vaccine has actually not been licensed for usage by drug authorities in the U.S., U.K. and EU. The World Health Organization has stated it is still evaluating the vaccine however has actually not suggested if and when it may give the shot emergency situation usage listing.
Not to be discouraged, Russia has actually established numerous other Covid vaccines and has actually considering that dealt with a one-shot “Sputnik Light” vaccine created to be utilized as a booster shot. In August, RDIF stated Sputnik Light had actually shown “highly effective against Covid among more than 320,000 subjects who had received the vaccine based on the data collected by July 30, 2021.” It mentioned an effectiveness rate of 93.5%.
RDIF’s Dmitriev informed CNBC that Russia anticipates the Sputnik V vaccine to be authorized by the end of 2021 which he hopes the one-shot Sputnik Light might quickly be utilized as a booster shot in combination with other vaccines.
“We’ve seen very positive signals from the WHO lately and they really appreciate what we are doing … ‘Sputnik Light’ can be a booster to other vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Moderna to many other vaccines, so we believe in a very positive solution with the WHO as early as the fall … definitely we expect an approval very soon,” he stated.
