Ukraine to make own anti-coronavirus vaccine by end of 2021

"Currently, four institutions are developing a Ukrainian national vaccine against coronavirus. Preliminary results will be presented at the end of this year,” the press service of the Ukrainian Health Ministry said in response to an inquiry of the Eastern European bureau of Report.

It was noted that two of the organizations are conducting researches.

“One is being conducted in Lviv by Academician Andriy Sibirny, the other by O.V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry Professor Serhiy Komisarenko. By the end of 2021, these teams must present the first results of their researches. In particular, it will be a scientific substantiation of the possibility of creating a vaccine or technical algorithms for its creation," the ministry said.

It was noted that these projects are funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.

“There are also private organizations that are actively working to produce a Ukrainian vaccine. A group of researchers from Indar Pharmaceutical Company and Lekhim Pharmaceutical Company are examples of this. In particular, Lekhim Private Joint-Stock Company has actively initiated the development of its own vaccines against COVID-19, as well as mass production in Ukraine, i.e., packaging and labeling of the finished vaccine. If necessary, the Ukrainian Health Ministry will provide all necessary assistance and organizational support for this work. The Kharkiv Lekhim plant is planning to apply innovative approaches to the development of an inactivated vaccine against coronavirus. Research should begin soon and, if successful, all necessary clinical trials of the vaccines will begin,” the press service said.