The pharmaceutical company Landsteiner Scientific has signed an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to purchase and distribute 32 million doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Mexico. Sputnik discussed the issue with the laboratory’s medical director Alejandro Lara.
Regarding the choice of the Russian drug, Lara pointed to the vaccine’s performance during phase I and II studies, as well as the fact that it is based on the Ad5 and Ad26 adenoviruses, as the factors that influenced Landsteiner Scientific’s decision to purchase Sputnik V.
“Another important factor that has raised the expectations of the Russian vaccine is cellular immunity that is created after its application (…) This is a milestone, a turning point. It gives us the tools and time to treat, prevent, alleviate the disease and learn more about its consequences,” Lara said.
Although the first deliveries of the Russian vaccine are scheduled for November 2020, Alejandro Lara pointed out that the health authorities haven’t yet approved it.
“We cannot let 2021 arrive without having a vaccine,” he stressed.
Lara also stressed that they have established excellent interaction with the Russian authorities.
The doctor also expressed the hope that, once approved, Sputnik V could be effectively distributed through Mexican state health facilities. At the same time, he calculated that the doses received by Landsteiner Scientific could cover 30 percent of the country’s population.
According to the medical director, who previously contracted a moderate form of COVID-19, there is more and more knowledge about the new coronavirus. However, there is still much to be learned.
“We are dealing with a disease, whose consequences we don’t know about; we still don’t know much about it. A prevention tool is everything; it does more than treating the disease or trying to alleviate its complications or consequences. I think this is a turning point and that is what we all should promote: prevention,” he said.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
