On Sunday (July 12), several reports claimed that Russia’s Sechenov University has successfully completed clinical trials of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine.
However, the draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) lists the Russian coronavirus vaccine study as a phase 1 trial.
As of July 7, WHO data shows the only candidates to reach phase 3 trials were Oxford/AstraZeneca’s ChAdOx1-S and Sinovac’s vaccine based on inactivated COVID-19 particles.
On June 18, clinical trials of two forms of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology were approved by the country. The first vaccine was tested at the Burdenko Military Hospital.
Russian news agency TASS quoting the country’s Defense Ministry reported that results of the vaccine tests performed on a group of volunteers showed they’re developing immunity to the virus.
The ministry added that an in-ward treatment of the first group of volunteers, who were tested for the safety and tolerability of the coronavirus vaccine, will end on July 15.
The first stage of study analysis on another coronavirus vaccine began at Sechenov University on June 18, when a group of 18 volunteers were vaccinated against the virus. The second group of volunteers were vaccinated on June 23.
Chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk, who heads the Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, told TASS on Sunday that clinical trials of the vaccine against COVID-19 have been completed on volunteers at Sechenov University and the results of research proved the jab is safe.
Smolyarchuk said that the volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and 20 respectively, adding they will remain under medical supervision on an out-patient basis after being discharged.
As per the WHO, 21 candidate vaccines against COVID-19 are in clinical evaluation. Worldwide, at least 566,075 people have so far lost their lives to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
