MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian anti-coronavirus medicines are at a high degree of readiness and their clinical tests may be kicked off in the near future, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Sunday.

"New medicines are being developed. Some are at a high degree of readiness and we hope their clinical tests will begin within weeks," he said in an interview with the documentary "Dangerous Virus. The Second Year" aired by the Rossiya-1 television channel.

According to director of the Gamaleya Center, Alexander Gintsburg, tests of an anti-coronavirus drug on the basis of the "monoclonal antibody cocktail" may start on January 5-10 to last for two to three months.

Another medicine is based on low molecular chemistry technologies that would inhibit virus replication in patients, even those having serious forms of the disease, Gintsburg said, adding that tests of this medicine will begin in the second half of 2022.

Yet another medicine, Ftortizenon, is at the second stage of clinical tests. "It will be sent to hospitals to prevent serious acute bacterial complications in COVID-19 patients," he said.