Coronavirus vaccine update: After Russia, Pfizer, Moderna may soon release new data; SII ties up with Novavax

After Pfizer and Russia's coronavirus vaccine candidates had shown positive results, American biotech firm Moderna is drawing nearer to releasing data on its advanced-stage trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Pfizer and Russia's two frontrunner inoculations are said to be more than 90 per cent effective against coronavirus.

Meanwhile, in India, experts are of the view that the Pfizer news may not be of much use in the country as the company's COVID-19 vaccine needs storage at extremely cold temperatures, around -70 degrees Celsius, and arranging for such cold chains would be a gigantic logistical issue.

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Coronavirus vaccine update: Moderna vaccine results soon

US-based Moderna Inc has claimed that it has sufficient data for a first interim analysis of the advanced-phase trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which should help ascertain the inoculation's efficacy. The company has stated the data is being prepared to be presented before the trial's independent data safety monitoring board, which will then look at the findings and make a recommendation.

Meanwhile, Moderna hasn't yet made any announcement as to when it plans to release the efficacy data of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. The company said in a news release that it has witnessed a substantial rise in the coronavirus caseload among study participants as infection rates have risen sharply around the US.

Also Read: Have enough data for first interim analysis of Covid-19 vaccine: Moderna

COVID-19 vaccine update: ICMR-Serum Institute collaborates with Novavax

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Serum Institute of India (SII) have announced the conclusion of enrolment of phase-3 human clinical trials for 'Covishield' in India. ICMR and SII have also further joined forces for the clinical development of Covovax, which is being developed by US-based Novavax and upscaled by SII.

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Coronavirus vaccine update: Russia's Sputnik V vaccine over 90% effective

Russia has claimed that its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is over 90 per cent effective at protecting people from COVID-19, according to initial results announced by the country's sovereign wealth fund, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Wednesday, November 11.

The interim data analysis of the vaccine, which is in phase III human clinical trials in the Russian Federation showed 92 per cent efficacy. Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is currently undergoing phase III testing stage in Belarus, UAE, Venezuela, and other countries, while it is in phase II-III in India. Russia's announcement came a day after Pfizer and BioNTech made a similar disclosure with their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

Experts stated that the Russian data was promising and strengthened the idea that the coronavirus pandemic could be stemmed by vaccines, while cautioning that the results were only predicated on a small number of study participants who had contracted COVID-19.

The RDIF, which has been backing Sputnik V's development, said that the Russian testing of the experimental vaccine would continue for six months.

Also Read: Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V 92% effective, show interim trial results

COVID-19 vaccine update: Why Pfizer vaccine distribution is difficult and expensive for India

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius and such logistics could be difficult to arrange in India, especially in rural areas, said AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria.

Most vaccines in India are stored at a temperature of two to eight degrees Celsius. The lowest minimum temperature in most of the cold chains in the country is -25 degrees Celsius, Guleria added.

Pfizer recently announced that its vaccine has a high efficacy rate of over 90 per cent, indicating that it is on track to file an emergency use application (EUA) with US regulators later this month.

Also Read: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine distribution difficult and expensive, says AIIMS Director