Over 100 experts from friendly neighbouring nations have so far been trained to strengthen capacities in their countries for facilitating phase-3 clinical trials of Indian COVID-19 vaccine, a senior official of the department of biotechnology said on Wednesday.

Addressing a webinar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Alka Sharma, an adviser with the Department of Biotechnology, said the partnership for advancing clinical trials (PACT) initiative is being carried out in association with the external affairs ministry.

"...The PACT is under the initiative of Department of Biotechnology and Ministry of External Affairs to strengthen capacities for facilitating phase-3 clinical trials of Indian COVID vaccine in friendly neighbouring countries," she said. Under this initiative, so far two training modules have been successfully completed.

"More than 100 participants from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka took part in this training programme," she said. The plan is to have the next round of training programme with a greater number of participants, she added.

She said currently 30 groups are actively involved in development of the coronavirus vaccine. Six vaccines are in various stages of clinical trials, of which four are being indigenously developed she said.

Sharma said the clinical trials by Bharat Biotech are in phase-3, while the one which is being developed by Zydus Cadila is in phase-2. Vaccine candidate of Biological E is in its phase-1 clinical trials while Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is in the process of getting approvals at various levels.

Serum Institute of India (SII) is also conducting phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine. Similarly, Dr Reddy's Laboratories is conducting phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Russian vaccine Sputnik V, she said.