Third stage of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine research may begin in 7-10 days

MOSCOW, Aug 16, 2020, TASS. The third (post-registration) stage of the research on the coronavirus vaccine developed by the N. F. Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, may begin in 7-10 days, its Director Alexander Gintsburg told TASS.

Several tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in this research.

“On Monday, we will present the first version of the protocol on post-registration research. Given this great interest and attention of the public and the press, I think that the Health Ministry won’t delay the process and will approve the protocol within a week. So, I believe within seven or ten days at maximum everything will begin,” Gintsburg said.

Earlier, the press service of Russia’s public health watchdog, Roszdravnadzor, said some 2,000 people would take part in the clinical trials after the drug’s registration. In his turn, Gintsburg said several tens of thousands of people were expected to be involved by the third stage. The research will be conducted in the Moscow Region.

On August 11, Russia registered the world’s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, and its clinical trials were successfully completed in June-July. It was created on a platform that had been used for the development of a number of other vaccines. On August 15, the Health Ministry announced that the production of the vaccine had been launched.