Russia has announced that it will be starting the human clinical trials of Sputnik V, a possible Covid-19 vaccine developed in the country, to at least 40,000 volunteers starting next week.
“We’re going to do clinical trials not just in Russia but also the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, probably in Brazil or in India,” Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced on Thursday.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Saudi government have so far not commented on their involvement in the testing. The Philippines, meanwhile, has earlier said that its health authorities have already discussed with their Russian counterparts the country’s participation.
Moscow said its government will publish detailed findings to allay concerns.
The vaccine will be given in two doses and involve using uses a different adenovirus for each of the two doses.
Russia said they have received a billion doses requests from 20 countries.
They are also partnering five countries to help in the mass production of the vaccine.
Russia has named the vaccine “Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957.
