Russian Ebola vaccine passes clinical trials, health watchdog says

Science & Space December 15, 2016, 11:13

The Ebola outbreak recorded in West Africa in 2014-2015 took the lives of more than 11,000

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The clinical trials for Russia’s Ebola vaccine were successful, Anna Popova, head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, told reporters on Thursday.

"The Ebola vaccine has passed clinical trials successfully, documents for its registration are being prepared. It showed very good results," she said.

The first phase of clinical trials for the Ebola vaccine developed by the Novosibirsk-based Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology ended in June 2016, while the second began on September 8 and ended on December 8.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola outbreak recorded in West Africa in 2014-2015 took the lives of more than 11,000, while over 28,000 have been infected with the disease. The bulk of fatal cases occurred in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. According to the WHO, that was the largest Ebola outbreak in history.

Founded in 1974, the Vector Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Initially, it studied the pathogens of such deadly diseases as anthrax and tularemia in order to develop biological weapons on their basis. Currently, Vector is developing means to diagnose and treat infectious diseases. The center’s experts are working on vaccines against swine flu, HIV and Ebola.

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