QazCovid-in, commercially known as QazVac,[1][2] is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems in Kazakhstan.[3][4] QazCoVac-P is a second COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Kazakh Biosafety Research Institute and in clinical trials.[5]

Manufacturing

The vaccine can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures (2°C-8°C) and is a two-dose régime with the doses administered twenty-one days apart.[6]The vaccine was first manufactured by Kazakhstan's Research Institute of Biological Safety Problems. Production capacity has been capped at 50,000 doses per month.[citation needed]

Beginning in June 2021, the vaccine is slated[7] to be packaged in large bulk to be bottled in Turkey by a major Turkish company.[8][9] This will allow for a production capacity of 500,000-600,000 doses per month.[10] The contract is still being negotiated,[11] despite earlier claims suggesting that the deal had already been finalized.[12][13]

In October 2021, it was announced that the vaccine would be supplied to Afghanistan and other countries in 2022.[14]

History

Clinical trials

In September 2020, QazVac started in Phase I/II clinical trials.[15]

In December 2020, QazVac is currently in Phase III clinical trials, which is expected to be fully completed by 9 July 2021.[16][17] It is unclear when the first preliminary results will be published.[18][19]

The administration of the vaccine for the general population began at the end of April 2021.[20] The Research Institute Kunsulu Zakarya's Director General's justification is that the trial is almost 50% completed and "people who have received [the] vaccine feel well; there have been no side-effects and the effectiveness of the vaccine is high".[21]

In September 2021, a study was published to eClinicalMedicine, published by The Lancet. The study’s findings were that the “QazCovid-in® vaccine was safe and well-tolerated and induced predominantly mild adverse events; no serious or severe adverse events were recorded in both trials.” [22]

Authorization

Economics

The first batch of 50,000 doses was delivered on 26 April 2021, and vaccination began shortly after.[citation needed] In June 2021, the capacity will increase to 100,000 doses per month, regardless of the contract for bottling in Turkey.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Kazakhstan: Officials under fire over vaccination failures | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ INFORM.KZ (31 March 2021). "Vaccination with homegrown QazVac vaccine likely to start in late April". www.inform.kz. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. ^ Yergaliyeva A (20 December 2020). "Kazakhstan Begins Vaccinating 3,000 Volunteers With Self-Made QazCovid-in". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  4. ^ Clinical trial number NCT04691908 for "Immunogenicity, Efficacy and Safety of QazCovid-in® COVID-19 Vaccine" at ClinicalTrials.gov
  5. ^ "Kazakh Biosafety Research Institute Begins Clinical Trials of Another Vaccine Against COVID-19". The Astana Times.
  6. ^ INFORM.KZ (26 April 2021). "Health Minister Alexei Tsoi to be one of the first to get homegrown QazCovid-in vaccine". www.inform.kz. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  7. ^ It's unclear at which level of preparation the vaccine will be sent to Turkey.
  8. ^ MENAFN. "Kazakh COVID-19 vaccine to be bottled in Turkey". menafn.com. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  9. ^ "QazVac готова и уже на подходе". Время (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Kazakhstan Launches Production of First Homegrown Vaccine, 'QazVac'". caspiannews.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  11. ^ INFORM.KZ (21 April 2021). "Healthcare Ministry comments on production of QazVac vaccine". www.inform.kz. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  12. ^ "К концу апреля в Казахстане будет выпущено 50000 доз собственной вакцины". "СНГ СЕГОДНЯ" - последние новости стран СНГ читайте на SNG.TODAY. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Kazakhstan's COVID-19 vaccine to be bottled in Turkey". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  14. ^ SATUBALDINA, ASSEL (5 October 2021). "Kazakhstan to Supply Its QazVac COVID-19 Vaccine to Other Countries Next Year". The Astana Times.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "Reactogenicity, Safety and Immunogenicity of QazCovid-in® COVID-19 Vaccine - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov". clinicaltrials.gov. May 2021.
  16. ^ INFORM.KZ (31 March 2021). "Vaccination with homegrown QazVac vaccine likely to start in late April". www.inform.kz. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  17. ^ "QazVac готова и уже на подходе". Время (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  18. ^ INFORM.KZ (9 April 2021). "3rd stage of clinical trials of QazCovid-in vaccine to be 50% complete by Apr 15". www.inform.kz. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Kazakhstan's COVID-19 vaccine to be bottled in Turkey". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  20. ^ tengrinews.kz (9 April 2021). "Как правильно применять казахстанскую вакцину QazVac, рассказал ученый". Главные новости Казахстана - Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  21. ^ "QazVac готова и уже на подходе". Время (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  22. ^ Zakarya, Kunsulu; Kutumbetov, Lespek; Orynbayev, Mukhit; Abduraimov, Yergali; Sultankulova, Kulyaisan; Kassenov, Markhabat; Sarsenbayeva, Gulbanu; Kulmagambetov, Ilyas; Davlyatshin, Timur; Sergeeva, Maria; Stukova, Marina (1 September 2021). "Safety and immunogenicity of a QazCovid-in® inactivated whole-virion vaccine against COVID-19 in healthy adults: A single-centre, randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 and an open-label phase 2 clinical trials with a 6 months follow-up in Kazakhstan". EClinicalMedicine. 39: 101078. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101078. ISSN 2589-5370. PMC 8363482. PMID 34414368.
  23. ^ "Казахстанскую вакцину QazVac будут разливать в Турции". informburo.kz (in Russian). 9 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

External links