COVID-19: Sputnik V shows strong protection against Omicron compared to Pfizer vaccine, says Italy-Russia joint study

New Delhi [India], January 20 (ANI): Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V has demonstrated strong protection against the Omicron variant of the virus compared to the Pfizer vaccine, according to a study conducted at the Spallanzani Institute in Italy in collaboration with investors in the Sputnik vaccine.
As per the report, a comparative study shows that the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine demonstrates more than two times higher titers of virus-neutralizing antibodies to Omicron variant than two doses of Pfizer vaccine (2.1 times higher in total and 2.6 times higher three months after vaccination).
"The study demonstrates that Sputnik V neutralizes the Omicron variant by inducing robust antibody response associated with high levels of protection," reads the report.
"The hard scientific data proves Sputnik V has higher virus-neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to other vaccines and will play a major role in the global fight against this new contagious variant," said Alexander Gintsburg, Director, GamaleyaNational Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Russia.
The joint study claims that Sputnik V develops a wider pool of antibodies to different epitopes in contrast to Pfizer vaccine, which utilizes the spike protein in a proline-stabilized form directed mainly to the specific epitopes, which were highly affected by the mutations in the Omicron variant.
It also claims that Sputnik Light is a universal booster to other vaccines "thanks to the optimal configuration of Sputnik vaccine's adenoviral platform which provides better protection against Omicron and other mutations as demonstrated in multiple studies."
"A 'mix & match' trial of a combination of Sputnik Light with vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino, conducted in 5 provinces in Argentina has demonstrated that Sputnik Light induces stronger antibody and T-cell response as compared to homologous regimen (two shots of the same vaccine)," researcher claims.
"Each 'vaccine cocktail' combination with Sputnik Light provided a higher antibody titer on the 14th day after administering a second dose when compared to original homogenous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines," they added.
The study was conducted by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Gamaleya Center) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund, investor in Sputnik V and Sputnik Light coronavirus vaccines) at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (Italy) by a joint team of researchers of the Institute and the Gamaleya Center. (ANI)