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The second phase of clinical trials of the Mir-19 drug for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 on coronavirus patients has begun in Russia, head of Russia’s Federal Medical Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova told Channel One Russia on Wednesday.

"The first phase [of clinical trials] is over, the drug is safe and well tolerated. The second phase [of the trials] on patients with COVID-19 has begun," she said.

According to the agency’s chief, after the end of the second phase it will be possible to proceed with the drug’s registration.

Skvortsova earlier said that Mir-19 was based on micro-RNA that blocks certain parts of the RNA virus. If the medicine proves effective, the Federal Medical Biological Agency is also getting ready to create another pharmaceutical form - an oral and nasal spray, she added. According to Musa Khaitov, Director of the agency’s Institute of Immunology and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the drug could be registered as early as this year.