EXCLUSIVE: Biocad's new covid vaccine will not cause striking side effects

A new vaccine against coronavirus infection BCD-250 developed by the Russian biotechnology company Biocad(a participant of the Made in Russia project) will not cause any striking side effects, the company's press service told the project.

Biocad said that the new vaccine is based on recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV).

"The rAAV-based vectors are believed to be one of the safest systems for delivering genetic material into human cells, as rAAVs are not linked to the pathogenesis of any disease. In addition to the fact that they are not capable of replication in the body, virulence restoration or recombination with "wild" strains is also impossible for them," the interlocutor of the agency explained to Made in Russia.

The rAAV vectors are only a protein envelope by which the nucleic acid encoding a fragment of the viral Spike protein enters cells, Biocad noted.

"BCD-250 should not cause side effects, or they will appear in a very mild and mild form," the company stressed.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Health granted Biocad permission to conduct Phase I and Phase II trials of the recombinant vector vaccine. The trials are expected to be completed by December 31, 2026, with 360 participants.

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Author: Karina Kamalova