The head of a government research center in Russia has informed President Vladimir Putin that his laboratories are ready for clinical trials in humans for a pilot vaccine against the Corona virus as of the end of next June.

The head of the Victor Center for Virology and Biotechnology, Rinat Maxiotov, said his laboratory had proposed a first phase of clinical trial of three vaccines to 180 volunteers starting next June.

Maxiotov revealed his laboratory's readiness to conduct these experiments during a video interview between Putin and the heads of major Russian research centers.

He told Putin that "groups of volunteers have formed", noting that many have expressed a desire to participate.
"So far we have received more than 300 requests" from people who want to participate in the trials, he added. Maxiotov said that scientists have developed many prototypes of vaccines in a complex of secret laboratories located in the Koltsovo region outside the city of Novosibirsk in Siberia.

He noted that experiments are currently being conducted on mice, rabbits and other animals to determine which vaccines will give the best results by April 30th.

He added that the Victor Center had planned to conduct pre-test studies by June, before launching the human testing phase, but indicated that the first human trials could begin in May "if approved by the Ministry of Health."