Russia begins post-registration trials of EpiVacCorona Covid-19 vaccine

Russia has launched the post-registration trials of EpiVacCorona, a Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, Vector.

The vaccine does not contain the live virus and develops immunity by using artificially synthesised peptides.

In July, the Vector Research Centre got Russian Health Ministry approval to carry out the human trials of the vaccine and the first volunteer received the vaccine shot on 27 July.

Russian Federal Service Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare head Anna Popova was quoted by TASS news agency as saying: “We can only stop the spread (of Covid-19) through vaccination.

“On October 13, the Epivaccorona vaccine based on peptide antigens has been registered, right now, the third stage of post-registration trials is underway.”

EpiVacCorona is the second Covid-19 vaccine to receive approval from the Russian authorities.

In August, Russia became the first country to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine when Sputnik V was officially registered ahead of large-scale trials.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova had said that she tested EpiVacCorona vaccine herself and no side effects were experienced.

Last week, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Gamaleya Center announced that a first interim analysis of Phase III trials of the Sputnik V vaccine demonstrated 92% efficacy in Covid-19 patients.

The interim data was based on the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. They analysed the efficacy among 16,000 participants who were given the vaccine or placebo 21 days after the first injection.

Sputnik V is the first registered vaccine against the disease created on a human adenoviral vector platform.