Russia closes in on developing its first anti-COVID-19 drug

Russia is getting closer to the completion of development of one of the world’s first drugs against COVID-19, according to recent statements by the Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko and some local media, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

According to Forbes Russia, the drug is known as MIR-19, and is seen to work by blocking the ability of the virus to replicate. Mr Murashko also added that the drug interrupts the course of the disease at the initial stage of infection.

Forbes Russia reported citing its sources, the drug was developed by the Institute of Immunology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA), one of Russia’s leading research institutions in the field of immunology.