RDIF announces delivery of the first batch of Sputnik V vaccine to Belarus for clinical trials

MOSCOW, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia's sovereign wealth fund, announces the delivery of the first batch of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, to the Republic of Belarus. The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a human adenoviral vectors platform which is the only one in the world that has proven long-term safety and effectiveness.

Vaccination of volunteers in Belarus will begin on October 1 as part of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine. RDIF is funding these clinical trials in Belarus with the participation of 100 people who will have the opportunity to be vaccinated against coronavirus with a vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. Belarus has become the first country to start clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine after its registration in Russia. Clinical trials will be carried out in eight medical institutions selected as research centers in Belarus. Two Belarusian clinics have already received the first batches of the Sputnik V vaccine.

On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19 based on the human adenoviral vectors platform. Detailed information on the Sputnik V vaccine, the technological platform of human adenoviral vectors, and other details are available at sputnikvaccine.com

On September 4, a research paper on the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine was published in The Lancet, one of the leading international medical journals, demonstrating no serious adverse effects and a stable immune response in 100% of participants. Post-registration clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine involving 40,000 volunteers are currently ongoing. More than 60,000 volunteers have applied to take part in post-registration trials. The first results of these trials are expected to be published in October-November 2020.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said:

"Belarus has become the first country to take part in foreign clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, and will be among the first countries to receive an effective and safe vaccine to combat coronavirus. Similar clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine are planned in a number of other countries, including Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The human adenoviral vectors platform, which underlies the Russian vaccine, is safe for health and has been tested for decades in more than 250 clinical studies. At the same time, Western vaccine manufacturers are relying on experimental and underexplored technologies that have not been tested in the long term, and face obstacles in their clinical trials that delay the introduction of vaccines into civil circulation and negatively affect efforts to combat coronavirus."

More than 50 countries in CIS, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Latin America have applied for Sputnik V. RDIF has previously announced supply agreements with Mexico for 32 million doses, with Brazil for up to 50 million doses, with India – 100 million doses and with Uzbekistan for up to 35 million doses.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB1.9 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru

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