ArmInfo. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, the sovereign fund of the Russian Federation), the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and the leading pharmaceutical company in Armenia, Liqvor Pharmaceuticals, announce the production of the first batches of Sputnik Light, a single-component Russian vaccine against coronavirus. This was reported by the press service of the RDIF. Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus 26 serotype (rAd26)) of the Sputnik V vaccine. The drug, produced in Armenia, will be used to vaccinate the population against the coronavirus.
RDIF organized a technological transfer process for vaccine production in Armenia at the facilities of the Liqvor company. The validation lots of Sputnik Light will be sent to the N.N. N.F. Gamalea for quality control, the successful completion of which will allow you to start commercial production.
"Sputnik Light" was approved for use in Armenia on September 6 this year. In February 2021, the country also approved the use of the Sputnik V two-component vaccine.
Sputnik Light demonstrates high safety and efficiency in vaccination of the population in a number of countries. In particular, data from the Ministry of Health of the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) showed the effectiveness of the Sputnik Light vaccine at the level of 78.6-83.7% when vaccinating the elderly. In Paraguay, according to the country's Ministry of Health, the effectiveness of the drug was 93.5% during mass vaccination.
Due to its high safety and efficacy in a number of countries, the Sputnik Light vaccine is currently used not only independently, but is also being studied in combination with drugs from other manufacturers. Similar research is currently underway in Argentina, the UAE and other countries.
Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan stated: "Sputnik Light vaccine production jointly with RDIF and Liqvor company in Armenia, is an important step in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in our country. I must note that this is a good example of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and overcoming its socio-economic consequences. "
In turn, Director General of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, in particular, noted: "Establishing the production of a Sputnik Light single-component vaccine, which demonstrates higher efficiency than many two-component drugs against coronavirus, is an important stage in cooperation between Russia and Armenia in the fight with a pandemic. Local production of the Sputnik Light vaccine will accelerate the vaccination of the population, avoid logistics costs and quickly form herd immunity. " Key benefits of the Sputnik Light vaccine:
Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus 26 serotype (rAd26)) of the Sputnik V vaccine, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus. According to the results of laboratory studies of the N.N. N.F. Gamalei, "Sputnik Light" is effective against new strains of coronavirus.
Sputnik Light does not require special storage and logistics conditions.
The Sputnik Light vaccine is created on the studied and tested platform of human adenoviral vectors, the important advantages of which are safety, efficacy and the absence of long-term negative consequences, confirmed in more than 250 clinical studies conducted in the world over two decades (with the history of the use of adenoviruses human vaccines began in 1953).