The vaccine has successfully completed the third phase of clinical trials, marking a significant milestone in the development process.
A tuberculosis (TB) vaccine could be available in Russia as soon as next year, announced Aleksandr Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, at the Healthy Life Forum 2024 in Moscow.
The vaccine has successfully completed the third phase of clinical trials, marking a significant milestone in the development process.
This breakthrough brings hope for a new tool in the fight against TB, a disease that remains a significant global health challenge.
“If everything goes as planned, the country will have its own booster vaccine by mid-2025 that will protect people from infection,” Gintsburg told the audience, RT reports.
According to Gintsburg, the new tuberculosis drug is designed as a single injection, with ongoing clinical trials monitoring participants who have already received the vaccine.
He previously noted that this innovative jab has the potential to revolutionize the epidemiology of tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) is also actively working on developing a TB vaccine, focusing on protecting adults and adolescents, who are responsible for the majority of TB transmission. To accelerate progress, the WHO established the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, dedicated to driving the development of effective TB vaccines.
Established in 2023, the council aims to facilitate the development, testing, authorisation, and use of new TB vaccines, with a focus on equitable access.
The new vaccine is expected to boost the effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, the sole tuberculosis vaccine available for over a century.
While BCG provides partial protection for children, it offers no protection for adolescents and adults. In contrast, the Gamaleya-developed vaccine has the potential to not only prevent but also treat tuberculosis, making it a groundbreaking dual-action drug.
Unlike existing treatments, this vaccine uniquely stimulates the immune system to combat both active and dormant mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. This innovative approach sets it apart from other vaccines, offering a promising solution for combating tuberculosis.
Clinical trials have shown that the new vaccine does not cause side effects. Unlike BCG, the drug can be used when other diseases are present. It is compatible, for example, with HIV.
The Gamaleya Center, renowned for developing the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, has made another significant contribution to global health.
Launched in August 2020, Sputnik V was one of the world's first Covid-19 vaccines, demonstrating an impressive 97.8% efficacy rate with no severe side effects.
This lifesaving jab has been administered to millions of people across nearly 70 countries, including Argentina, India, Serbia, Hungary, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, and many others, that have approved its use.
https://www.rt.com/russia/