Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
Russia has developed a cancer vaccine that will actually direct the patient’s immunity precisely to fight malignant cells. The drug is universal for all types of cancer diseases. The new vaccine – EnteroMix – will start to be used on humans in early 2025.
In February 2024, the Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the Future Technologies Forum in Moscow, and took the world by surprise when he announced that the Russian scientists were making progress and were nearing in their research in developing cancer vaccines. The statement was quite surprising, since at that time the world’s attention was fixed at the Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine and the Israel’s onslaught against Palestine.
President Putin argued that “we have come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation.” At that time no one could foresee that Russia’s aspirations to create such a vaccine was far closer from realisation than the expectations of many observers. However, President Putin did not specify about the type of vaccine and neither the types of cancer it would cure in the future. Russia’s mRNA Cancer Vaccine
On December 15, 2024, Russia took Western pharmaceutical and medicine companies by astonishment by announcing the creation of Russia’s own mRNA or Messenger Ribonucleic Acid vaccine against cancer. Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Centre of the Russian Ministry of Health made the announcement that the vaccine will be made available free of charge to Russian citizens from the upcoming January 2025.
Russia’s news agencies reported that the vaccine was developed in a collaborated effort among many Russian research centres including the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, the Blokhin Cancer Centre, and the Hertsen Oncological Research Institute.
Previously, in June 2024, the Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told news reporters on the side-lines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) that the first preclinical studies results of the anti-cancer vaccine was due in late 2024. He also argued that the research for developing the vaccine was fully “financed by the state as part of the governmental order.”
Why it is called the first-ever cancer vaccine
Before this latest breakthrough in the history of medical science, there existed few vaccines; however, the previous ones aimed to contain the spread of cancer. Nonetheless, the Russian cancer vaccine “can suppress tumour growth and limit the potential for metastases.” Hence, it would not be ambitious to argue that this is the first-ever cancer vaccine that can fully combat cancer.
Geopolitical Implications
It is quite unfortunate that like other fields in the international relations, the West aspires to maintain its hegemony and monopoly over medical science, and seems unwilling to allow access of such medicines and vaccines to poor countries. For instance, Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine was given to many countries around the globe to prevent Covid-19; however, the Western powers propagated false information and propaganda about Russia’s vaccines.
Similarly, even today, it seems very hard for the West to accept and digest Russia’s mRNA-based cancer vaccines. It is very surprising that Western pharmaceutical companies like Moderna and Merck & Co, are still undergoing tests for making such vaccines and have invested billions of USD so far. Likewise, the United Kingdom singed a contract with Germany’s BioNTech amounting to millions of USD for research and development of cancer vaccines. However, perhaps, the Western pharmaceutical giants have already consumed billions of USD, and are not making serious efforts to develop cancer vaccines.
While keeping in view the West’s attitude towards Russian inventions and innovation, the basic purpose of this article is to combat the potential disinformation and propaganda that might be aimed to taint Russia’s cancer vaccine.
Conclusions
The development of cancer vaccine by Russia is a manifold welcome development. First, it would help cure the cancer patients internationally who pay enormous money for their treatments and still suffer. These patients heavily rely on the Western pharmaceutical and medical companies for drugs and treatment equipment. Second, Russia has demonstrated that the people could look towards Moscow as a reliable partner for leadership as well as technological innovation. Third, President Putin delivered his promise and within months of his announcement, and now Russia has fully developed the cancer vaccine.
The most important announcement that was made by the Russian government is that the vaccine will made available to the Russian people without any charge. It is to be remembered here that cancer is a major cause of death among the Russian people. Some sources indicated that cancer is the second-leading cause of death in Russia with “approximately 192 deaths per 100,000 of the country’s population in 2022.”
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