Russia's Sputnik V Developers Asks AstraZeneca To Try Combining Vaccines

The Russian Gamaleya research institute has suggested UK pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca try to boost the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine, combining it with a shot of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V.

On Monday, AstraZeneca released interim results of its candidate vaccine showing two different levels of efficacy depending on the dosing regimen. Efficacy in patients administered two full doses one month apart was 62 per cent, while in those administered a half-dose and then a full dose it reached 90 per cent. The UK company is planning additional vaccine trials.

"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 #SputnikV human adenoviral vector shot to boost efficacy. Combining vaccines may prove important for revaccinations," the Gamaleya research institute wrote on Twitter.

In August, Russia became the first country to register a COVID-19 vaccine, which was named Sputnik V. The clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya research institute, have demonstrated that its efficacy rate is over 90 per cent.

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