How was the Russian vaccine developed?
Russia is developing 47 coronavirus vaccines, announced 20
Ten Russian vaccines are included in the World Health Organization (WHO) global list of promising vaccines.
- Six vaccines of the Novosibirsk State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector".
- Two vaccines from Biocad, one of which is being developed jointly with the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg.
- And one vaccine each from the St. Petersburg Institute of Vaccines and Serums and Moscow State University.
The most promising among them are considered to be the Federal Budgetary Institution of Science State Scientific Center for Virology and Biochemistry "Vector" and the Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after. N.F. Gamaleya.
Of these, "Vector" is a participant in the geneticthe state program, which will be financed not only from the budget, but also with the involvement of large sponsors like Rosneft. In 2019, Vector, by order of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, was included in the list of organizations on the basis of which centers for "world-class genomic research" will be created.
The second organization - Gamaleya Research Center -was created as a private chemical, microscopic and bacteriological laboratory back in 1891, later transformed into a private institute, and in 1919 it became a state institute. Until 2010, the center was subordinated to the Russian Academy of Sciences, after which it was subordinated to the Ministry of Health. Since 1997, it has been permanently headed by a microbiologist, specialist in the field of molecular biology of pathogenic microorganisms, Alexander Ginzburg. The center deals with problems in the field of epidemiology, microbiology, infectious immunology; a “special place” in its activities is occupied by “patterns of the spread and epidemic manifestation of infectious diseases.”
Which vaccine is best?
Doctors and virologists note that the effectiveness of the CoVid-19 vaccine consists of two key parameters.
The first is immunogenicity, that is, the abilitythe drug to induce an immune response in the human body. In other words, the drug should trigger a reaction and force the body to produce antibodies to the coronavirus. In many respects, the success of a particular vaccine depends on this, and it is for the most rapid search for a vaccine that the Russian Ministry of Defense and various research institutes are testing several ways to trigger an immune response at once.
The second is safety.It is impossible to make a completely harmless drug in a few weeks. For example: employees of the Russian scientific center of virology and biotechnology “Vector” experimented with more than 25 antiviral compounds, of which only three showed particular effectiveness.
Why does development take so long?
There are several reasons for this:First, there are difficulties with studying coronavirus strains. Some experts are confident that new strains do not affect its spread, others believe that new mutations of CoVid-19 affect not only the speed of spread of the disease, but also the severity of its course in those infected.
Another reason is that there is no universal cure for viral infections.
And third, the creation of any vaccine is a long process. All tests and approvals from departments can take up to several years.
At what stage are the tests of Russian companies?
- "Vector"
At the beginning of July, the center's general director“Vector” Rinat Maksyutov reported that three coronavirus vaccine prototypes have successfully completed trials in Russia. According to him, the selected drugs are the most advanced in terms of the results obtained. Vector has completed preclinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine. The center is now testing volunteers.
- Gamaleya National Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.
The Ministry of Defense announced the readiness of the first Russian vaccine against coronavirus in National Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Gamaleya.
The first clinical results of new vaccines are alreadyobtained: after two weeks of testing, no serious adverse events were recorded in volunteers. After a while, the volunteers will be injected with the second component of the vaccine. If the antiviral cocktail does not have serious side effects, then the coronavirus vaccine trials can be considered successful. The head of the preclinical research department of a large pharmaceutical company Yevgeny Shevchenko notes that each country is going its own way to create a vaccine and these drugs will not appear on the free market immediately.
Volunteers at Sechenov University from June 18without antibodies to SARS-CoV2, a drug created by specialists from the N.F. Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology was administered. Some of the volunteers received one dose, the rest - two. According to the results, representatives of the university announced that all volunteers had immunity. Only a few had a slight increase in temperature in the first days. However, it is not yet known how long the vaccine will last.
However, according to SergeiBorisovich, head of the 48th Central Research Institute of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, Doctor of Biological Sciences, “scientists still have a huge layer of analytical work to do, drawing up final reports, presenting results, state registration of the vaccine product.”
What is known about the developed vaccine?
As Alexander Ginzburg said, Head of the Research Institute named after. Gamaleya, immunity when vaccinated with this drug will be developed within two days when the body encounters the virus again. During the first vaccination, a person develops humoral cellular immunity, and after the second, memory cells are formed in large numbers - one of the main properties of the vaccine.
When a vaccinated person encounterscoronavirus - both humoral immunity and cellular immunity will not be developed within two weeks, but within two days it will come to the defense of our vaccinated body.
Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Research Institute named after. Gamaleya
This viral vector vaccine is based onhuman adenovirus - a cold virus - and is combined with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to stimulate an immune response. That is, the vaccine is not made based on coronavirus. One element is taken from the coronavirus, but at the same time produces antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
Why did the Ministry of Health denied the vaccine statement?
The department said that the coronavirus vaccine is still in clinical trials: they have now entered the second stage.
Currently, the second phase of clinicaltesting a vaccine developed by the Research Center for Microbiology and Epidemiology named after. N.F.Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of Russia continues and is at the final stage. Upon completion, the issue of its state registration will be decided.
Alexey Kuznetsov, Assistant Minister of Health</ p>
At the moment the Ministry of Defense is notexplained at what stage the development of the Russian vaccine is. What exactly the Gamaleya National Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology is currently doing is not specified.
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