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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia starts preclinical coronavirus vaccine trials on May 11

Currently, coronavirus vaccines in Russia are tested on animals, namely mice, ferrets and other non-human primates

© Igor Onuchin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Russia plans to begin preclinical coronavirus research on May 11, Director General of the Novosibirsk-based Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Rinat Maksyutov told reporters on Saturday.

"After the trials [of the vaccines] are competed - and we are planning to have finished them by late April, technology will already be developed to produce a series of vaccine substances for pre-clinical and clinical trials," he said.

Preclinical trials are expected to begin May 11, Maksyutov said.

Currently, coronavirus vaccines in Russia are tested on animals, namely mice, ferrets and other non-human primates. Those trials are expected to be completed by the end of April. The preclinical trials are to last until June 22, while the clinical trials were reported to start on June 29.

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