Vladimir Putin
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian scientists were close to developing cancer vaccinations that might soon be offered to patients.
In televised remarks, Putin stated, “We have come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation”.
“I hope that soon they will be effectively used as methods of individual therapy”, he said at a future technology symposium in Moscow.
Putin did not disclose which cancer types the proposed vaccines would target or how they would be administered.
Several countries and firms are developing cancer vaccines. Last year, the UK government announced an agreement with Germany-based BioNTech to conduct clinical trials for personalized cancer treatments, to reach 10,000 patients by 2030.
Moderna and Merck & Co are creating an experimental cancer vaccine that, according to a mid-stage study, reduces the risk of recurrence or death from melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, by half after three years of treatment.
As per the World Health Organisation, there are presently six licensed vaccines against human papillomaviruses (HPV), which cause a variety of malignancies including cervical cancer, as well as vaccines against hepatitis B (HBV), which can cause liver cancer.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Russia created its own Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 and exported it to several nations, but at home, there was strong public resistance to vaccination.
Putin admitted to taking Sputnik to reassure the public about its efficacy and safety.
Also read: Vladimir Putin: Russia Prefers More Predictable Biden Over Donald Trump
