WHO adds 9 candidates for Covid-19 vaccine developed in Russia to global trial list

Russian scientists have developed nine possible Covid-19 vaccines to be used in a global trial backed by the World Health Organization (WHO). All nine are currently at a preclinical evaluation stage.

Vector, a Novosibirsk-based infectious diseases lab, produced six of the nine Russian submissions included on the WHO trial list. Its proposals are derived from platforms for treating Ebola, influenza and other viral infections.

The three other possible vaccines came from St. Petersburg and were developed by two research institutes and a major Russian biopharmaceutical company. They worked solo to make two of the candidate vaccines, and two of the labs worked in collaboration with each other to make a third product – a live viral vectored vaccine based on the influenza virus.

The Russian candidates are among 77 developed by researchers worldwide that are yet to be approved for clinical studies. Six others have progressed to human testing and are either in phase one or phase two of clinical evaluation. It could take as long as six months to assess the primary efficacy of a proposed vaccine, according to the UN’s health body.

Vector earlier reported that it was assembling volunteers to take part in clinical trials of its vaccines. Human testing may commence sometime in late June, the head of the lab told Russian media. One of the St. Petersburg developers said it was hopeful of a similar timeline for its trial.

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