Russia's Biomedical Agency Creates Three COVID-19 Vaccine Prototypes, Vaccine Expected in 11 Months

14:23 GMT, 20 March 2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Federal Biomedical Agency (FMBA) said on Friday that it was working on a vaccine against COVID-19, and three prototypes were ready, adding that tests on mice were underway, with results expected in June and the vaccine expected to be ready in 11 months.

Sputnik

"As of today, Russia's FMBA has created three prototypes of the vaccine. These are recombinant proteins based on epitopes of the surface S-protein SARS-CoV-2. We have launched immunological potency tests on mice," the FMBA said in a statement.

The results of pilot tests are expected in June, and the second stage of the research is expected to be completed by the beginning of the third quarter of the year.

FMBA head, ex-Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova added that the vaccine would be ready in 11 months.