‘Astra-sputnik mix has high immunity’
India allows a study on mixing of Covishield and Covaxin by CMC, Vellore
A combination of Astrazeneca and the first component of Sputnik V demonstrated a high immunogenicity profile in a clinical study in Azerbaijan, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) claimed on Friday. Clinical trials in the country began in February 2021.
A combination of Astrazeneca and the first component of Sputnik V demonstrated a high immunogenicity profile in a clinical study in Azerbaijan, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) claimed on Friday.
Meanwhile, in India, the regulator has allowed a study on mixing of Covishield (Astrazeneca shot made by Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech’s shot) by Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.
Experts say mixing vaccines based on two different platforms could trigger a better immune response in the beneficiary. The mix-andmatch approach — known as heterogeneous prime and boost — has been historically tried too, for example against Ebola.
When two doses of the same vaccine are taken, it’s called the homologous boost. Here, the prime (first dose) and the boost (second dose) are the same vaccine. However, if two different vaccines that use the same antigen are used at prime and boost, it can show better immune response, feel some experts.
RDIF, Astrazeneca, and Rpharma announced preliminary results on immunogenicity (desired immune response triggered by a vaccine) of the combined use of Astrazeneca and Sputnik V vaccine doses. Azerbaijan had given the go-ahead to the world’s first clinical trials combining two Covid-19 vaccines in February.
The trial was run jointly by the Gamaleya Center, the lab that made the Sputnik V vaccine, alongside Astrazeneca, RDIF, and Russian pharmaceutical company R-pharm.
Sputnik V is a heterogeneous vaccine — it uses two different human flu vectors (Ad26 and Ad5) in its two doses. The study used the first dose of the Ad26 vector-based vaccine shot.
Clinical trials in Azerbaijan began in February 2021. To date, 64 volunteers have been vaccinated and the enrollment of volunteers is ongoing.
“The preliminary data from the first 20 participants shows antibodies to the SARSCOV-2 virus spike protein (Sprotein) elicited in 100 per cent of cases,” RDIF said in a statement.
The interim analysis of data has previously demonstrated a high safety profile for the combined use of the vaccines with no serious adverse events or cases of coronavirus infection after vaccination, it added.
Clinical trials of a combination of vaccines are being carried out in several countries as part of a global program. Volunteers are being vaccinated in UAE and Argentina while regulatory approval to conduct trials has been granted in Russia and Belarus.