Sputnik V Developers Blast Media for Fake News 'Undermining Global Partnership to Fight COVID'

Earlier, the UK tabloid The Sun claimed that British security forces believe a Russian spy had stolen the formula for the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Moscow dismissed the claim, saying it wasn't backed by any evidence, and was "unscientific".

The developers of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V have lambasted The Sun's report about Russia allegedly stealing the formula for its COVID-19 vaccine from the Sweden-British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, accusing the tabloid of spreading "fake news" and undermining the global partnership to fight the pandemic.

"The story, originated by The Sun tabloid, is pushed by those opposing the success of one of the world’s most effective and safe vaccines against COVID-19 and we find such attacks highly unethical as they undermine the global vaccination effort".

The creators of the vaccine pointed out several facts that undermine confidence in The Sun's claims, such as the adenoviral platform used in the Russian vaccine being developed seven years ago. In addition, Sputnik V's viral vector is based on a human adenovirus, while AstraZeneca's jab uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus.

Sputnik V is also different from the AstraZeneca vaccine due to using two different viral vectors in its two doses, the developers of the Russian medicine noted in their official statement. The British jab uses the same vector of the chimpanzee adenovirus in both shots.

Sputnik V is happy to share one of its two human adenoviral vectors with @AstraZeneca to increase the efficacy of AstraZeneca vaccine. Using two different vectors for two vaccine shots will result in higher efficacy than using the same vector for two shots. #SputnikV

— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) November 23, 2020

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which backed the development of the medicine, also recalled via the vaccine's official Twitter account, that the two countries actually worked together on delivering better vaccines to people. Namely, the RDIF sent one of Sputnik V's components to AstraZeneca for tests on mixing the two jabs, which began in the wake of the British drug showing lower-than-desired efficacy levels in some patients.

The article the RDIF was referring to was published in The Sun on 10 October, with the tabloid failing to name its sources of information and how they are related to the UK security forces. In the article, The Sun claimed the said British security forces were growing increasingly confident that a Russian spy stole the AstraZeneca vaccine formula, but the media outlet fails to mention any evidence that led to this change.