Russia claims Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine is 95% effective

Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is 95 percent effective according to a second interim analysis of clinical trial data, its developers said on Tuesday.

The calculations were based on preliminary data obtained 42 days after the first dose, Russia's health ministry, the state-run Gamaleya research centre and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement, reports the NDTV citing the AFP.

Gamaleya National Center said new clinical trial data based on 39 confirmed cases and 18,794 patients who got both shots had shown that Sputnik V was 91.4% effective on day 28 and over 95% effective on day 42.

Earlier, Russia claimed that Sputnik V vaccine is 92 % effective at protecting people from Covid-19 according to interim trial results.

Britain's AstraZeneca recently said its vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be around 90% effective without any serious side effects, giving the world another important tool to halt the Covid-19 pandemic. The vaccine developed by Oxford University was 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 when it was administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart, according to data from the late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil.

US drugmaker Pfizer and Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine showed a 95% efficacy. 

Sputnik V vaccine to be cheaper than rivals

Russia will charge less for its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine than rivals as Moscow aims to produce more than 1 billion doses at home and abroad next year, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund added.

Details of the exact pricing are expected later on Tuesday, but Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund, told Reuters that Sputnik V would be priced significantly lower than other rivals with similar efficacy levels.