The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the Gamaleya Center and the pharmaceutical companies R-Pharm and AstraZeneca signed an agreement to develop and implement a clinical trial program for a combination of vaccines against coronavirus
This happened last Monday and, according to most experts, marked a new stage in the cooperation of leading pharmaceutical companies, and perhaps even (what the hell is not kidding) actually became the first illustration of a new model of international relations, when for the common good corporations and the states behind them interact over political barriers.
RDIF and Western pharmacists have agreed to develop business and scientific relationships, within the framework of which they will explore the possibilities of joint use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and AZD1222 drug developed by AstraZeneca for the sake of more persistent and long-term protection of people from coronavirus.
In the near future, a clinical study of the combination of the AZD1222 vaccine with the adenoviral vector of the Sputnik V vaccine of the 26th serotype will begin. R-Pharm will also co-sponsor the study.
Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in a videoconference dedicated to the cooperation of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca with the Russian side on vaccines. We remember that the Russian president has long called on the West to join forces in the fight against a new scourge. Hopefully, his calls were finally heard.
As you know, “Sputnik V”, developed by the Center Gamalea, became the world’s first registered coronavirus vaccine. It received registration in Russia on August 11. Since then and until the very last moment, the vaccine was defamed, waves of information and PR attacks were spread on Russian scientists. So the agreement between the Russians and “big pharma” is really a remarkable event.
The experts drew attention to the quality of the negotiation process – it was a calm and mutually respectful dialogue, whose participants in every possible way distanced themselves from any conspiracy theories, as if by their behavior emphasizing the priority of common sense.
On the other hand, coincidences cannot but lead to some reflections. Take, for example, the fact that the agreement was signed in the wake of the global panic over the emergence of a new strain of infection in the UK. Russia and many other countries have suspended flights with foggy Albion.
Scientists say with a certain degree of confidence that the new strain is rapidly replacing other strains of the same virus, that the mutation occurs in parts of the virus that are of particular importance, that some of these mutations have already demonstrated in laboratory conditions the increased ability of the virus to enter cells.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new strain could be 70% more infectious, which is why the reproduction index (which shows whether the number of infections is increasing or decreasing) could rise by 0.4. At the same time, there is no answer to the main question, whether the covid has become more deadly. However, even the very fact that more infected people are already creating big problems. Plus, scientists fear that existing vaccines will be less effective in this case. Perhaps this is the origin of the determination of different countries to finally establish cooperation in this vital area.
One way or another, the UK was quarantined, judging by what is happening objectively. Simply put, it was isolated. And this, by a strange coincidence, happened literally a week before the moment when the British planned to isolate themselves. This is a transitional period during which the UK and the European Union could, but did not reach a trade agreement, and which ends on December 31, 2020.
The aforementioned Boris Johnson seems to be as determined as possible not to agree to the EU conditions – even at the cost of a possible shortage of essential goods. The British media write that supermarkets have begun stocking up on food in anticipation of massive consumer demand, as in the early months of the pandemic. And The Sunday Times reports that health officials have been tasked with building up a six-week supply of medicines, supplies and vaccines. It seems that Britain is once again preparing for a continental blockade. And the current COVID isolation against this background looks like a preamble to all expected events.
In general, experts believe that the post-view world will be seriously different from the current one. According to political scientist Maxim Bratersky, the pandemic has become a turning point in many processes – globalization, regionalization, the struggle of nation states for survival. Under the slogan of fighting the virus, many began to openly do what they had long wanted: to close borders, strengthen sovereignty, return production from abroad, and shift relations with neighbors to a bilateral basis.
In addition, the coronavirus pandemic coincided with the global economic crisis, and now it is not just a financial crisis, but a recession in the real economy. The conditions have been created for an ideal storm in international affairs, the expert notes: the epidemic is forcing countries to isolate themselves and, as far as possible, switch to self-sufficiency. The economic crisis will sharply raise the issue of restoring national economies, primarily about job creation, and this will not happen on the basis of international cooperation, but against the background of intense international rivalry.
Political scientist Timofey Bordachev points out that never before have epidemics forced most countries of the world to take such unprecedented security measures. According to the expert, this indicates that such serious and deep contradictions have accumulated in the world that the situation cannot be resolved otherwise than by a general crisis. And this makes a turn in world history almost inevitable.
It is not entirely clear when this will happen. But, judging by the dynamics, very soon. In order to prepare for this turn at least physically, the expert concludes that the countries playing a key role in the survival of civilization of the country should start a serious conversation. There is some possibility that this conversation has already begun.
Political Analytics