9 Feb 2021 17:41

Clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine as nasal drops to begin in April - Minister Manturov

MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax) - Clinical trials of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the form of nasal drops are due to begin in April, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in an interview with Interfax.

"At the moment, the Gamaleya Institute and the Generium company are developing an intranasal form of the vaccine, whose clinical trials are due to begin in April for launching serial production in the later period," Manturov said.

The Russian Health Ministry's Gamaleya Institute Director Alexander Gintsburg did not rule out last year that the Sputnik V vaccine might be administered on children as nasal drops (as an intranasal formula) as a more suitable form for this age category.

Gintsburg said on February 5 that the Sputnik V trials on children might begin in June.

Sputnik V has become Russia's first coronavirus vaccine registered in the national territory. Russia launched mass coronavirus vaccination with Sputnik V on January 18. As of February 8, 8.62 million doses of the vaccine have been made, and 5.3 million doses have been supplied to regions.