Information about the suspension of clinical trials of vaccine denied by Researchers

Sravanthi Neralla

2nd November 2020

Moscow – Crocus Medical, the organisation working with Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiol in the production of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine - Sputnik V, has reportedly denied claims of suspension of clinical trials.

(Source- Reuters File Photo)

Alexey Butylin, managing director of Crocus medical- the Russian pharmaceutical firm that has partnered with Gamaleya Research Institute for the mass-production of Covid-19 vaccines – claimed that the information about the suspension of clinical trials of the vaccine was 'false.' "Crocus Medical categorically denies information about the suspension of clinical trials of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine due to a shortage of the vaccine distributed by Reuters, citing anonymous sources in the company. This information is false, trials are ongoing, and there is sufficient vaccine supply", – she clarified in a statement.

According to Reuters, the production of vaccines was 'not enough' to keep up with the colossal demand. Reuters also reported that eight out of twenty-five clinics responsible for conducting clinical trials and inoculating volunteers in Moscow stated that the vaccination of the new volunteers was allegedly on hold. Simultaneously, the rest claimed that the clinics had already used up the doses allocated to them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an earlier statement said that the country was facing challenges scaling up production of the vaccine due to problems with equipment availability. He hoped that the mass-production of the vaccine starts by the end of 2020.

While Alexei Kuznetsov, an aide to Russia's health minister, when responding to questions about the low production of vaccine doses, stated that the human trials of Sputnik V would continue and 'the target of 40,000 vaccinated volunteers will be met'.

Sputnik V – Russia's adenovirus vector-based vaccine is the first registered Covid-19 vaccine in the market. The Russian Ministry of Health registered this on August 11. The clinical trials of the vaccine have been underway since the beginning of September. The trial involves around 40,000 volunteers. The interim results of the vaccine are expected to be published in November.

(Sources– The Deccan Herald, Reuters)

Edited by – Hithesh Jain