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A Novichok agent (Russian: Новичо́к, "newcomer") is one of a group of seven binary chemical weapons developed at the GosNIIOKhT state chemical research institute by the Soviet Union and Russia between 1971 and 1993. Some Novichok agents at STP are solids while others are liquids. It is thought that dispersal for the solids is possible by ultra-fine powder.Russian scientists who developed the nerve agents claim they are the deadliest ever made, with some variants possibly five to eight times more potent than VX, and others up to ten times more potent than soman. As well as Russia, Novichok agents have been known to be produced by scientists "in several NATO member states" and Iran.In the 21st century, Novichok agents came to public attention after they were used to poison opponents of the Russian regime, including the Skripals and two others in Amesbury, UK (2018) and Alexei Navalny (2020). In November 2019, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is the executive body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), added the Novichok agents to "list of controlled substances" of the CWC "in one of the first major changes to the treaty since it was agreed in the 1990s" in response to the 2018 poisonings in the UK. On 2 September 2020, Angela Merkel announced that the German government had notified the OPCW that Navalny had been poisoned and would consult with its allies "on an appropriate joint response".