Moscow. July 9. INTERFAX.RU – The drug for the coronavirus “MIR-19”, which is being developed at the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, will be effective against any strains, as it affects the most resistant areas of the virus, said the head of the agency Veronika Skvortsova through the press service.
“The regions of the virus genome, selected as a target for the drug's action, are highly conservative, practically do not undergo mutations, and therefore remain relevant for any of the known lines of coronavirus, including the British and Indian,” she explained.
MIR-19 is an antidote against coronavirus, its action is based on the well-studied RNA interference mechanism, the FMBA press service explained.
“The drug, with the help of an active component – small interfering RNAs, specifically destroys a specific region of the virus genome, which is responsible for its replication (the ability to reproduce),” the message says.
According to the developers, during the experiments, MIR-19 allowed to reduce the concentration of the virus in infected animals by 10 thousand times. The first phase of human clinical trials was completed in March this year and showed the safety of the drug.
The developers suggest that MIR-19 will be most effective against coronavirus in the first two to three days after human infection.
The drug is currently undergoing the second phase of clinical trials at the centers of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia in Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region; it should be completed in mid-August. If the effectiveness of the drug is confirmed, FMBA will apply for its registration.
In April Veronika Skvortsova said that for the first time after registration MIR-19 would be used only in hospitals. In addition, if it is highly effective, FMBA plans to create two more forms of the drug in the form of a spray for post-exposure prophylaxis. This medicine can be used in order to prevent the development of the disease if a person has previously been in contact with an infected coronavirus.
FMBA announced the development of a cure for coronavirus in October 2020. The agency is also developing a vaccine for COVID-19.
