Russian scientists are entering the home stretch in creating an industrial site for the production of a strategically important drug. The Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry (NIOCH) SB RAS plans to complete the certification of the production of the drug “NIOCH-14” in the spring of 2026. This is the first chemical drug in Russia intended for the treatment and emergency prevention of smallpox and other orthopoxvirus infections, including mpox.
Site Readiness
As the director of the institute, Elena Bagryanskaya, reported, special “clean rooms” were created on the basis of the Engineering Center with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science for the production of the substance. The total investment in the project amounted to about 30 million rubles, reports TASS.
“Currently, their certification is underway. We strongly hope that we will finish this in the spring. Our main motivation was exactly the release of the drug, which was developed by us against smallpox together with the Vector production association.”
— Elena Bagryanskaya, Director of NIOCH SB RAS
The State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” has already confirmed its readiness to provide a state order for the production of the new medicine, according to the FARMPROM portal.
How “NIOCH-14” Works
The drug is a joint development by chemists of NIOCH SB RAS and virologists of the Vector center. Its uniqueness lies in its mechanism of action: the molecule blocks the process of virus envelope formation. This “locks” the virus inside the infected cell, preventing its release and further spread of the infection throughout the body.
Clinical trials (Phase I), conducted on 90 volunteers, proved the safety of the drug and its high bioavailability when taken orally. Before the appearance of “NIOCH-14”, Russia did not produce its own chemical drugs for the treatment of smallpox — there were only vaccines for prevention, as noted in the materials of SRC VB “Vector”.
Strategic Reserve
The development is gaining particular relevance against the background of the unstable epidemiological situation with orthopoxviruses pathogenic to humans in the world.
Vector emphasizes that “NIOCH-14” is a strategic drug that will be used if necessary to stop disease outbreaks. It will become a supplement to the fourth-generation vaccine “OrthopoxVac”, also developed by Russian scientists.
