Vaccines created in Russia to treat the coronavirus are undergoing preclinical trials and the first encouraging results have already been received, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2020) Vaccines created in Russia to treat the coronavirus are undergoing preclinical trials and the first encouraging results have already been received, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday.
"As for vaccines ... preclinical trials are currently underway. There are several platforms for the development of these vaccines ... encouraging results are giving us hope that we will develop an effective treatment," Murashko said at a parliament meeting.
According to the health minister, the first results of the trials of the Favipiravir antiviral drug, developed by Russia's high-tech pharmaceutical group of companies, ChemRar, are also encouraging.
"Favipiravir, is the drug developed by a domestic full-cycle pharmaceutical company. The company received a permission for clinical trials, and the drug is currently in clinics. The first results are encouraging. It gives us hope that this drug will probably work," Murashko said.
In March, the Russian Direct Investment Fund's Supervisory board approved the creation of a joint venture with ChemRar for the production of Favipiravir and other innovative antiviral drugs.
Murashko added that several other antiviral drugs are being actively used to treat COVID-19, including all drugs with unproven effectiveness.
Russia has joined many other countries in the efforts to create vaccines and find a treatment for COVID-19 patients. The country has registered 10,559 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 165,929, according to the national coronavirus response center.
