MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2021) Clinical trials of the Betuvaks-CoV-2 vaccine against COVID-19, developed by Russian company Betuvaks, will commence in early October, the Skolkovo innovation hub said on Monday.
The Russian Health Ministry authorized the clinical trials earlier in the day. Betuvaks is a Skolkovo resident company.
"The drug only contains surface antigens of the coronavirus, which reduces the protein content and, consequently, its allergenic potency," Skolkovo said in a statement.
The trials will be conducted on 170 volunteers at hospitals in St. Petersburg and Perm and last until August 2022, according to the developer.
Betuvaks-CoV-2 is a recombinant subunit new generation vaccine based on spherical particles containing surface antigens, or proteins, of the coronavirus, Skolkovo explained.
"The vaccine does not carry genetic material, excessive antigen load, additional preservatives, stabilizers, and non-organic adjuvants, which minimizes the risks of side effects," the statement read.
Pre-clinical trials of the vaccine on animals are said to have shown that it is safe and effective.
