OREANDA-NEWS.  The Russian Ministry of Health has registered a drug for treatment of coronavirus MIR 19 developed by the Federal Medical and Biological Agency. This was reported by the agency's press service.

"The Russian Ministry of Health has registered a drug for the treatment of coronavirus infection MIR 19,"- the press service said. The drug was developed by the Federal State Budgetary Institution "State Scientific Center Institute of Immunology" of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia.

The Health Ministry added that the efficacy of the drug was studied in the red zone of hospitals in patients with moderate COVID-19. The drug showed efficacy compared to standard therapy, the ministry said.

Veronika Skvortsova, Head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, said on air of the Rossiya 24 channel that the studies have shown that the reduction of viral load in patients with coronavirus is noticeable after the first use of the drug.

So far, Mir-19 has been registered for use in medical hospitals. "We are planning to continue research and post-registration studies, and we will conduct a special study according to the protocol for outpatients,"- Skvortsova said, noting that after that the drug could appear in pharmacies.

The institute has received a patent for the drug in April. Its name means "small interfering RNA". The drug is intended to prevent and treat COVID-19 and is a nasal spray or inhalation liquid.

The drug is based on the use of microRNA, which blocks "those sites of the RNA virus that are responsible for copying the virus molecule", explained Head Skvortsova. The drug prevents severe forms of COVID-19 and does not affect the human genome or immunity, she explained.

According to Skvortsova, MIR 19 is not only suitable for any particular strain, but is universal.