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Phase Three of Convacell vaccine trials to begin in late summer – official

The head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Veronika Skvortsova, also took the initiative to conduct international studies of the drug

ST. PETERSBURG, June 18. /TASS/. Russia’s Convacell vaccine against the novel coronavirus may enter the third phase of its clinical trials in late summer, the head of the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) has said.

"We hope it to enter [phase three] starting from late summer. Notably, we want to carry out international research: not only in Russian facilities, but in other countries as well. We are working on that. We have now reached consent with heads of some states," Veronika Skvortsova said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

She did not name the countries that had given their consent to trials on their territory.

The Convacell anti-coronavirus vaccine was developed by the St. Petersburg-based Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency and it was registered with the Russian Health Ministry on March 18. The vaccine is an emulsion for intramuscular injection. The volume of one dose is 0.5 ml. Earlier, Skvortsova said the vaccine does not provoke allergy and is well tolerated by patients. Mass production of the vaccine was launched by the institute on April 5. According to Skvortsova’s previous statements, the institute can manufacture up to two million vaccine doses a month.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum organized by the Roscongress Foundation is running from June 15 to 18. This year’s forum is dubbed: ‘New Opportunities in a New World’. The SME Forum, the Creative Business Forum, the Drug Security Forum, the SPIEF Junior Dialogue and SPIEF Sport Week are also going to be part of the SPIEF event. TASS is the event’s official photo hosting agency and the information partner.

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