St. Petersburg Research Institute of Influenza named after A.A. Smorodintsev named its COVID-19 vaccine in the form of nasal drops Corfluvec. This was announced during the St. Petersburg International Health Forum by Darya Danilenko, deputy director of the Institute for research work.
The name of the drug was publicly announced for the first time. According to Darya Danilenko, preclinical trials of the drug have been completed, and clinical trials will soon begin. The institute expects the vaccine to be registered in 2022.
A representative of the Research Institute of Influenza invited residents of St. Petersburg to participate in clinical trials of Corfluvec.
“Corfluvec vaccine is based on attenuated (weakened and non-pathogenic for humans – IF) influenza virus vector. And although it is initially developed as a COVID-19 vaccine, we hope that in the future it will be a vaccine against influenza and COVID-19,” said Danilenko.
According to her, the vaccine will control the infection at an early stage, reduce the severity of the disease, form cross-protection (protection against several strains of influenza and coronavirus) and limit transmission, “as this vaccine is administerred in the area where the pathogen enters, where the infection originates.”
“It is planned that Corfluvec will be available in the form of an intranasal spray. The product can also be used sublingually. Presumably, the drug will be administered as two injections with an interval of two weeks.
The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation previously allowed testing of a nasal spray vaccine against coronavirus infection developed by the Gamaleya Center.
