When will ‘World’s First COVID-19 Vaccine’ come to market? Here’s the timeline Russia says

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that before the third phase of the clinical trial for this vaccine is over, the vaccine will be made available in the market.

Russian Coronavirus vaccine: Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia has developed a Coronavirus vaccine candidate which is likely to be out for the general public during the third phase of its clinical trials. It is to note that the Russian COVID-19 vaccine has recently cleared its first stage of clinical trials which started on June 18 and has entered the second stage. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that before the third phase of the clinical trial for this vaccine is over, the vaccine will be made available in the market, a report by Sputnik News said.

According to Murashko, there will be additional clinical research on the approved vaccine which is slated to be conducted simultaneously. The new approach is expected to test a new format of vaccine safety and efficacy, the report quoted Murashko as saying. The government is further planning to amplify the new approach with some data on vaccinated patients that are likely to present a complete picture of the immunity status among patients (vaccinated and recovered).

Meanwhile, the vaccine has been alleged to be based on COVID-19 technology developed by the researchers in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Another report by Sputnik highlighted that two days before, the UK National Cyber Security Centre had criticised the Russian vaccine developers for the same. However, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya institute has said that the vaccine developed in Russia is patented as well as more advanced when compared to Western players.

The report said that the Russian developers believe that their immunization scheme will be borrowed by many West players as their vaccine is unique. Gintsburg further said that they will be willing to share their vaccine-related data with foreign colleagues as it is a technology which the Russians have been developing over the last 25 years for many Coronaviruses.

To be sure, a vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute is on the WHO-monitored list for Coronavirus vaccine development along with 22 other candidate vaccines.