EpiVacCorona
EpiVacCorona (Russian: ЭпиВакКорона, tr. EpiVacCorona) is a peptide-based vaccine against COVID-19 developed by the Russian VECTOR Center of Virology. The lack of protective effectiveness of EpiVacCorona, which is still in use in Russia, has been reported in scientific literature and in the media. The vaccine consists of three chemically synthesized peptides (short fragments of a viral spike protein) that are conjugated to a large carrier protein. This protein is a fusion product of a viral nucleocapsid protein and a bacterial MBP protein. A phase III clinical trial to show whether or not the vaccine can protect people against COVID-19 was launched in November 2020 with more than three thousand participants. The conclusions and results of the trial have not been made public.
Package of EpiVacCorona vaccine | |
| Vaccine description | |
|---|---|
| Target | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Vaccine type | Peptide subunit |
| Clinical data | |
| Trade names | EpiVacCorona |
| Other names | EpiVacCorona-N, Aurora-CoV |
| Routes of administration | Intramuscular |
| ATC code | |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status |
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| Identifiers | |
| DrugBank | |
| Part of a series on the |
| COVID-19 pandemic |
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| COVID-19 portal |
Some experts in the field have expressed concerns about the selection of peptides for use as vaccine antigens. In addition, there are also serious concerns about the vaccine immunogenicity data, which have fueled independent civic research efforts and criticism by some experts. Current Time TV reported that "EpiVacCorona's reputation declined when vaccine trial participants sent an open letter to the Ministry of Health to flag 18 cases of COVID-19 infection among their group after vaccination with EpiVacCorona, and a lack of virus antibodies".