"An innovative drug has been developed based on the RNA interference mechanism, which has direct antiviral activity against the new coronavirus infection SARS-CoV-2," the statement said.
They said that scientists from the Institute of Immunology of the FMBA have developed and patented a drug that is a combination of synthetic micro-RNAs (miRNAs) that specifically bind to the genomic RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus according to the principle of complementarity.
“As a result, the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is suppressed by destroying its genome and the mRNA of the ORF1 genes (ORF1a, ORF1b) in the regions encoding the RdRP RNA polymerase and the nsp1 leader protein, as well as the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein N gene,” - added to the agencies.
They clarified that the drug specifically "turns off the activity" of the coronavirus and kills it, and not only affects the symptoms of the disease.
On August 6, the FMBA announced that they received a patent for the drug Leitragin, which can prevent or mitigate complications caused by COVID-19.