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Coronavirus pandemic

Updated at:

Animal trials of coronavirus vaccine to end in late April - Russian research facility

Human trials will begin in June

© Igor Onuchin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Animal trials of a prototype vaccine for the novel coronavirus are expected to be completed in late April and human trials will begin in June, Director General of the Novosibirsk-based Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Rinat Maksyutov said in Nailya Asker-Zade’s documentary dubbed Dangerous Virus, which was aired on Rossiya-1.

According to him, trials on mice and weasels are over and trials on lower primates are about to begin. "We plan to complete animal trials at the end of April, then we will move on to preclinical research involving humans, and human trials will begin in June," Maksyutov added.

According to him, trials on mice and weasels are over and trials on lower primates are about to begin. "We plan to complete animal trials at the end of April, then we will move on to preclinical research involving humans, and human trials will begin in June," Maksyutov added.

He noted that work was underway on 26 variations of the vaccine. The best ones will make it into the preclinical research stage and after that, if the Health Ministry gives permission, human trials will begin.

Head of Russian consumer watchdog Anna Popova, in turn, emphasized that "it is a rather difficult and time-consuming stage." "There is an option for trials on volunteers but for now, we are working in the traditional way," she said.

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