Sputnik V: Russian vaccine against coronavirus will be “much cheaper” than American vaccine

An important announcement regarding the Russian coronavirus vaccine is expected on Tuesday. One of the central questions on which confirmation is awaited is the Sputnik V market value. According to Kirill Dmitriev, chairman of the Russian Fund for Direct Investments (FRID), it will be a lot less expensive than the American alternatives. Another novelty would have to do with the agreements for the production of doses.

The virtual event, to be held via Zoom, will take place at 7:30 am in Argentina (1:30 pm Moscow time). He is in charge of FRID, which summoned the press and stressed that it will broadcast “good news”.

“The Sputnik V will be several times cheaper than the AmericansKirill Dmitriev, head of FRID, said via video conference.

It is in this context that he said that this week Sputnik V award will be announced and that it will be more accessible than the Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

In addition, he recalled that the Russian option has a 92% efficiency. “Are a few very good results. Anything over 50% is a very high level, ”he explained.

Russia is expected to start supplying the vaccine to the world between December and January. Regarding the storage and transfer of doses, Dmitriev assured that the the first batch of Sputnik V should be stored at minus 18 degrees (Pfizer is kept at 70 degrees below zero and Moderna at 20 below zero), but that of February the situation will improve.

This is due to freeze-drying technology, which will be used to dehydrate the vaccine. “Since February, most of the vaccines will be provided with a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees. This will limit transport restrictions, ”he said.

Moreover, he stressed that they do not aspire for Sputnik V to be the only vaccine on the market, but to be part of a catalog of vaccines that will be distributed around the world. “It is only together that we can defeat the coronavirus,” he added.

Finally, he confirmed that Sputnik V “He has a request for a billion people” and that in 2021 “they will be able to produce doses for 500 million”.

In this sense, relatives of the Russian Fund pointed out that another of the announcements could have to do with signing of contracts to formalize agreements with India, China, South Korea and Brazil for the production of the doses necessary to meet demand outside Russia.

A few weeks ago, President Alberto Fernández announced an agreement with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the purchase of 25 million doses of this vaccine, once approved. This would immunize 12.5 million people, as each patient must receive two doses. According to the president himself, the first batch would arrive in December and the second in January.

DD