AstraZeneca to conduct study of new drug for COVID-19 prevention in Russia

18 October 2023

Despite statements from international pharmaceutical companies about the suspension of new clinical trials in Russia after February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) will conduct a study of a new drug for the prevention of COVID-19 in Russia, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

AstraZeneca announced the start of a second phase of a pre-registration study of a new drug based on monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of coronavirus infection in Russia. Permission to test the drug with the working code AZD3152 on 130 patients with a reduced immune status was received in August 2023, according to the register of clinical trials of the Russian Ministry of Health. The company is already recruiting patients and plans to complete the study in summer of 2024.

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, large international pharmaceutical companies announced the suspension of new clinical trials in Russia and the recruitment of new patients. This was stated by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Merck & Co (NSE: MRK), GSK (LSE: GSK), Novartis (NOVN: VX), Roche (ROG: SIX) and others.

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