COVID-19: 'Combine AstraZeneca and Sputnik V to boost efficacy', say Russian developers

On November 26, the Russian Gamaleya research institute suggested that the pharmaceutical firm of UK AstraZeneca should mix a dose of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to enhance the experimental candidate’s efficacy. While Russia announced that its Sputnik V vaccine is 92 percent effective against the novel coronavirus on the basis of the interim trial results, University of Oxford’s and AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate, now fourth to announce preliminary results, showed only 70% efficacy. Earlier, AstraZeneca announced that it produced varying results from the trials due to an error in its dosage. One group reported efficacy of the vaccine oto up to 90 percent. These volunteers were administered half a dose and then full dose. A separate group turned back 62 percent efficacy after they were inoculated with two full shots, the company informed in a press release. Head of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, Mene Pangalos, confirmed error in the dosage in an interview with The New York Times, calling the trials "useful mistake”. Read: Asian Stocks Fall Amid Unease About Vaccine Development Read: UK Asks Regulator To Assess AZ-Oxford Vaccine Amid Questions In a statement on November 26, the University of Oxford said that some of its participants in the trials didn’t have accurate or the desired concentration of vaccine. Meanwhile, the firm recently announced that it will conduct a new global trial as critics questioned the vaccine’s efficacy of 90 percent against coronavirus. Based on reports, none of the participants were, in fact, over 55 years older in the low dose group. Associate fellow of the global health program at Chatham House, David Salisbury, pointed out that the firm clubbed results from the two groups in the press release to reach an average of 70 percent efficacy and announced the success. Today we announced high-level results from the AstraZeneca @UniofOxford #COVID19 vaccine clinical trials. https://t.co/eTz7cdY4hN pic.twitter.com/d6Wzo11Ftr — AstraZeneca (@AstraZeneca) November 23, 2020 Trying a 'combined' regimen Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference said that Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has qualified all required checks and will soon begin mass distribution. Manufacturers of Sputnik V called on AstraZeneca to combine experimental shots to boost efficacy. "Current full dose AstraZeneca regimen resulted in 62% efficacy. If they go for a new clinical trial, we suggest trying a regimen of combining the AZ shot with the Sputnik V human adenoviral vector shot to boost efficacy. Combining vaccines may prove important for revaccinations,” Sputnik V tweeted. BREAKING: Second interim analysis of clinical trial data showed a 91.4% efficacy for the #SputnikV vaccine on day 28 after the first dose; vaccine efficacy is over 95% 42 days after the first dose. Read More: https://t.co/qfCZ9FG8WH — Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) November 24, 2020 Read: India To Prioritise Neighbours Like Nepal To Give COVID Vaccine: Foreign Secy Shringla Read: PM Modi To Visit Serum Institute In Pune On November 28 To Review Status Of Covid Vaccine

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COVID-19: 'Combine AstraZeneca and Sputnik V to boost efficacy', say Russian developers

"We suggest trying a regimen of combining the AZ shot with the Sputnik V human adenoviral vector shot to boost efficacy," Russia's Sputnik V said on Twitter

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