Sputnik V vaccine more efficient against the Delta Variant of COVID-19: Study

In a breaking development, Russia's SPUTNIK V vaccine has been found to be highly effective in neutralising the aggressive COVID Delta variant, according to Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a study conducted by The Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow.

Delta variant of COVID-19 now ‘Delta plus’ variant

The Delta variant of COVID-19, which is highly transmissible has now mutated further to form the ‘Delta plus’ variant, however, there is no cause for concern in India yet, informed scientists. 

Last month, the WHO had coined the B.1.617.2 strain as the 'Delta' variant of COVID-19 which was identified as one of the drivers of the devastating second wave of coronavirus, especially in India. 

The Delta plus variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave. Though there is no indication yet of the severity of the disease due to the new variant, Delta plus is resistant to the monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment for COVID-19 recently authorized in India.

SPUTNIK V - India's third vaccine to get emergency authorisation 

Developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and supported by the Russian sovereign wealth fund, SPUTNIK V is a vaccine based on human adenoviral victors. It is one of the three vaccines in the world, the other two being Pfizer and Moderna, to have an efficacy of over 90 per cent against coronavirus disease, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2. On April 12, India extended emergency authorization to it and became the 60th country to approve it. While it is imported initially, more than 850 million doses of the Russian vaccine will also be produced in India annually. 

Dr Reddy’s and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) entered into a partnership to conduct the clinical trials of the SPUTNIK V vaccine and the rights for distribution in India. SPUTNIK V is the third vaccine to be used in India against COVID-19. COVAXIN, indigenously developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech and COVISHIELD manufactured by Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford-AstraZeneca are the two vaccines used in India's vaccination drive at present.