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Coronavirus pandemic

Russian intranasal anti-coronavirus vaccine demonstrates safety and efficiency

The St. Petersburg-based Research Institute of Influenza is developing an anti-coronavirus vaccine on the basis of the flu virus

ST. PETERSBURG, January 18. /TASS/. An intranasal anti-coronavirus vaccine, which is being developed by the St. Petersburg-based Research Institute of Influenza, demonstrated its efficiency and safety during pre-clinical tests, a spokesman for the institute told TASS on Monday.

"The Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza of the Russian health ministry continues pre-clinical tests of its vaccine against COVID-19. By now, we have received good results in terms of its safety and immunogenic efficiency. Research is being conducted to study the vaccine’s efficiency against the coronavirus infection on different animal models," the spokesman said.

The institute’s press service told TASS earlier that the institute was developing an anti-coronavirus vaccine on the basis of the flu virus. A weakened virus is used as a vector to deliver coronavirus proteins and prompt an immune response. The vaccine is expected to be in the form of nasal drops or spray.

According to the spokesman, pre-clinical test are expected to be completed in May 2021.

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