Russia's Gamaleya Institute to Test Sputnik V's Effectiveness Against Indian Coronavirus Strain

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Gamaleya research institute has received a sample of the Indian strain of the coronavirus and plans to test the Sputnik V vaccine's effectiveness against this variant of the virus. The results are expected to be available by the end of the next week, institute director Alexander Gintsburg told Sputnik on Thursday.

"I was told this morning that the institute received a sample of the Indian strain of the coronavirus. Next week we will start testing [Sputnik V's effectiveness against this strain] using a serum from our vaccinated persons. We should provide a response by the end of the next week", Gintsburg said.

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that Russia currently has no registered cases of the Indian strain.

The so-called double-mutant B.1.617 strain was first detected in India last October, while its B.1.617.2 subtype was found earlier this year and has already become the dominant strain that is driving India's unprecedented coronavirus surge. 

The first batch of the Sputnik V vaccine was shipped to India on 1 May after it was granted emergency use authorisation by the Indian health authorities.