Reacting on the pricing of two coronavirus vaccine candidates Pfizer and Moderna that has recently shown encouraging results from their human trials, Russia’s Sputnik V has said that its prices would be “much lower”.
Sputnik V is what Russia claims to be the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, but experts have not yet given nod to the drug.
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It was reacting to a report that quoted Moderna CEO on the price of the vaccine, suggesting that the actual prices of Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccine would be much higher and its own drug will be very cheap.
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“Translating pharma lingo: the announced price of Pfizer of $19.50 and Moderna of $25-$37 per dose actually means their price of $39 and $50-$74 per person. Two doses are required per person for the Pfizer, Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines. The price of Sputnik V will be much lower,” the Russian vaccine said.
About two weeks ago, Sputnik V’s developers claimed that the initial trial results have found the vaccine to be 92 per cent effective.
“The Sputnik V vaccine had an efficacy rate of 92 per cent after the second dose,” the statement by Russia’s health ministry, the state-run Gamaleya research centre and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said.
Presently, the third and final phase trials of the potential Covid-19 vaccine is undergoing in 29 medical centres across the world in which 42,000 volunteers have participated.
