Preliminary trials of a combination of the Sputnik Light and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines have shown that it produces high antibody titers, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement.
"According to the results of preliminary trials, the rate of antibodies neutralizing the spinous protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus rose by four times and more in 85% of volunteers on the 57th day of trials," the statement reads.
According to RDIF, the data is based on the observation of the first 20 people participating in the trials who received both components of the combination of vaccines, the first of them being the AstraZeneca jab and the second one Sputnik Light. There was a 29-day interval between the two doses. Trials in Azerbaijan were launched in February 2021. According to RDIF, 100 volunteers are currently participating in the research.
The preliminary analysis of data received in Azerbaijan earlier showed that 100% of volunteers developed antibodies neutralizing the spinous protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as the high safety of the vaccine combination as there were no serious side effects and no coronavirus cases were recorded among those vaccinated.
Apart from Azerbaijan, clinical trials of the combination of vaccines are taking place in the United Arab Emirates and Russia as part of a global program. Regulators have also granted permission to conduct research in Belarus.
