AstraZeneca, Oxford To Create Combination Covid-19 Vaccine With Russia’s Sputnik V

Topline

Amid accusations from the Kremlin that big pharma is leading a concerted effort to undermine Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, British-Swedish pharma giant AstraZeneca has shown its support for the vaccine, announcing that it will be joining forces with Russia’s state-run Gamaleya Institute to investigate whether combining their two Covid-19 vaccine candidates into one shot will create a more effective vaccine than either in isolation. 

Key Facts

Key Background

That AstraZeneca, a major pharmaceutical player, is willing to work with the Sputnik V vaccine will be very welcome news in Russia, where Kremlin officials have accused big pharma of orchestrating a systematic smear campaign against the shot. While the collaboration is a clear sign of confidence, it will likely do little to address concerns about the Sputnik V’s current rollout, with experts pleading for more data on safety and efficacy to be made available. 

What Don’t We Know 

Both of these vaccines have raised a lot of questions, particularly when it comes to the rigor of the studies supporting their use. In Russia, the Sputnik V vaccine is widely reported to be 90% effective at preventing Covid-19 and it has already begun being rolled out for widespread use. However, the vaccine has not undergone extensive clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness, and the data that has been published has done little to allay concerns. AstraZeneca reported efficacy between 90% and 62% depending on the dose given. The regimen behind the higher rate was discovered through a happy accident during the trial and only covered a relatively small, demographically-limited portion of the trial. The published data still left many questions unanswered, and the company is already planning further trials to resolve the issues.  

Further Reading

International Scientists Skeptical Of Data In Russian Covid-19 Vaccine Trial (Forbes)

Questions Over Effectiveness Remain As AstraZeneca And Oxford Release Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Data (Forbes)

AstraZeneca hitches ride with Russia’s Sputnik in vaccine race (Reuters)

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