Coronavirus Vaccines in Russia are Tested on Animals

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.

“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.

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.

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