The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Pure Health and Aurugulf have announced that the clinical trials of the Russian human adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine in the UAE have moved into the final monitoring phase, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Department of Health - Abu Dhabi.
Following the successful second dose vaccination of 1,000 volunteers, the next step involves monitoring volunteers’ immune response over 180 days, state news agency WAM reported
UAE findings are to be released by April 2021 and amalgamated with promising research findings from other global trials.
Recent interim results from Phase III of clinical trials of the Russian human adenovirus-based vaccine, as reported in leading international medical journal The Lancet, showed high efficacy of 91.6 per cent, as well as strong immunogenicity and safety results.
The UAE clinical trial is part of the Vaccine for Victory (V4V) campaign, the UAE’s chapter of the global vaccination trial of the Russian human adenovirus-based vaccine developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, and facilitated in partnership with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Abu Dhabi-based Aurugulf Health Investment and Pure Health will be the official marketing and distribution partners.
The trial’s principal investigator and Consultant Physician (Infectious Diseases) in the UAE Dr. Ahmed Al Hammad, said: "Moving onto this next monitoring phase should be celebrated as an achievement for the UAE’s medical community. It’s an important precursor to studying the immune response in a diverse range of volunteers, paving the way for further securing the safety of our citizens and residents against COVID-19."
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "The clinical trials have shown promising results across the globe. This next stage will add important data, further demonstrating the high efficacy of the vaccine and strengthening the UAE’s global efforts in pioneering scientific discovery."
The Russian vaccine has been tested on healthy adults from multiple nationalities aged 18 years and above, living in the UAE, with no history of COVID-19 vaccinations or infection, and who have not suffered any communicable or severe respiratory diseases. The vaccine was registered for use in Russia in August 2020, the first registered COVID-19 vaccine out of 165 being developed across the world.
Based on the results of the Russian Phase III clinical trial, which included over 33,000 volunteers, the Ministry of Health authorized the emergency use of the Russian vaccine in the UAE in January.
Two earlier phases of the vaccine clinical trials, published in The Lancet, reported stable humoral and cellular immune response among volunteers.
