Russia will begin trials of an antibody treatment for Covid-19 patients next year, Reuters quoted the head of the Moscow institute that developed the country’s first vaccine against the new disease, Sputnik V, said on Monday.

Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute, was cited by the RIA news agency as saying that he hoped trials for the new antibody-based drug would begin in the autumn of 2021.

“I hope clinical trials will begin in autumn,” he said. “We need to develop this drug using several technologies at the same time, which is something that is being done right now.”

Russia has been asking Covid-19 patients to donate blood plasma, which is rich in antibodies, for research.