The third phase of clinical trials for the Sputnik V vaccine has begun this Wednesday, according to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
Similarly, he highlighted that almost 31,000 volunteers would participate in this next phase of the trials to test the effectiveness of the vaccine candidate. "In just ten days, almost 31,000 people interested in participating were selected," he said to the press.
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The official also highlighted that a new medical observation platform and a mobile application are being simultaneously developed, which allow for direct contact between the patient and the vaccine developer.
"This is the first experience of its type in the world," Murashko expressed.
Last August 11, Russia officially registered its first vaccine against COVID-19, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The vaccine developers signaled to The Lancet medical journal that 100% of participants developed a stable humoral and cellular immune response during the first two phases of the trials.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, the beginning of Phase 2 for another vaccine candidate, EpiVakCorona, was announced. This one is a peptide vaccine whose active substance is comprised of synthetic analogs of viral proteins that can recognize the immune system or so-called epitopes.