[News] Russian regulatory body confirms efficacy of Sputnik V vaccine against British variant of COVID-19

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The body in charge of consumer protection, Rospotrebnadzor, also confirmed the efficacy of the Russian vaccine EpiVacCorona.

The first Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, and the second, called EpiVacCorona and registered in Russia last October, are effective against the British strain of the coronavirus, the body in charge of consumer protection, Rospotrebnadzor, said today.

"The protective effect has been demonstrated by neutralizing reactions using serum from people who received Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona and developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2," he said on his Facebook account Rospotrebnadzor.

"The sera of the vaccinated people effectively neutralized both the British variant of the coronavirus and the coronavirus itself, which does not contain the set of mutations characteristic of the British strain," said the Russian federal agency.

Rospotrebnadzor does not reveal how many people have been analyzed in this study carried out by the State Center for Virology and Biotegnology "Véktor", also a developer of the EpiVacCorona.

On Monday, he told the official TASS agency that the second Russian vaccine was also effective against the South African and Brazilian strains, without offering more data.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday instructed the government to analyze the effectiveness of Russian vaccines against new variants of the coronavirus and if necessary to carry out more research to adapt them.

The deadline for the first report is March 15 and then a new one every half year, but Rospotrebnadzor was already ahead of today.

In Russia before the New Year, the presence of the British strain was detected in a patient, who is already recovered, according to the Interfax agency.

The “Véktor” Center isolated the British strain last December and has studied this variant of the coronavirus.

Sputnik V was registered in Russia last August and is 91.6% effective according to interim analyzes of phase III clinical trials published this month in "The Lancet."

Criticized for being announced by Putin last year without having completed all the trials, it is currently registered in 26 countries, including Russia.

EpiVacCorona in turn completed clinical trials at the end of last September and was registered in Russia in October.

On November 16, the Ministry of Health authorized post-registration tests in volunteers over 60 years of age and for tests in 3,000 volunteers between 18 and 60 years old.

Last month Rospotrebnadzor announced to the Russian media, again without giving further details, that the second Russian vaccine is 100% effective.