Indian study shows benefits of vaccine cocktail, which is the basis of Spuntnik V

A study by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that vaccination with a combination of Covishield covid vaccine as the first dose followed by the drug Covaxin as the second dose is not only safe, but also causes better immunogenicity. This result underlines the advantages of the cocktail technology of vaccines, which was first used by Russian scientists to create Sputnik V, reports the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

In the study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, a group of people in Uttar Pradesh were given the Covishield vaccine, the national version of the Covid drug developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, as first dose, followed by local Covaxin vaccine, six weeks apart. Scientists then compared the results of this group with those of participants who received only Covishield or only Covaxin for both doses.

The analysis showed that “the immunogenicity profile against the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants in the heterologous group was superior”, as was the response of IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies, compared to the results of the homologous groups.

Overall, this study demonstrates that immunization with a heterologous combination of an adenoviral vector platform vaccine followed by an inactivated whole virus vaccine is safe and elicits better immunogenicity than two doses of homologous vaccination, using the same vaccines ”, assures the Council.

Regarding the vaccine cocktail, which is the basis of Sputnik V, the RDIF recalls that the heterogeneous booster principle involving the use of two different adenoviral vectors for two injections, was used for the first time as the basis for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, unlike other coronavirus antidotes, which use the same injection twice.

In addition, the Russian Fund was the first to offer cooperation to other vaccine manufacturers to further study the drug combination. So, on November 23, 2020, he proposed such a survey to AstraZeneca.

Covid. Sptunik. To participate.

Today, other manufacturers are following the lead of Russian developers, exploring the possibility of combining different vaccines, with similar studies with Sputnik V in several countries, including Azerbaijan, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. “The data obtained confirm the high efficiency and total safety of this solution,” said the RDIF press release, adding that the fund’s interest in the combined approach is part of its overall strategy to improve the efficacy of other vaccines. against the coronavirus.