Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that he supports the idea of abandoning the patent rights for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine and called on the Russian government to consider such an approach for Russian-made vaccines.
“We have heard an idea from the European side, which I think is worth noting, that is to cancel patent protection for all new coronavirus vaccines,” Putin said in a televised conference, adding that “Russia would certainly support this approach.
Meanwhile, Russian health officials have approved a single-dose version of Sputnik Light, the Russian developer of the Sputnik V vaccine, said today.
A statement from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which helped finance the development of the vaccine, noted that Sputnik Light is 79.4 percent effective compared to the two-dose version of the Sat-V vaccine, which is 91.6 percent effective.
The satellite-V vaccine has been approved for use in more than 60 countries worldwide, but some Western countries are concerned that the vaccine could be used as a soft power tool by Russia to promote Russian interests.
Recent Comments