Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Japan's Shionogi & Co Ltd said on Wednesday it had started a Phase II/III clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The trial for the recombinant protein-based vaccine will take place in Japan and follows a Phase I trial in the country, Shionogi said in a statement. The company will also prepare to conduct multiple trials globally, it said.

Medicines usually have to pass three phases of clinical trials before they can be assessed for approval by regulators.

Separately, Daiichi Sankyo Co said it planned to start a Phase II trial for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate next month.

The Japanese drugmaker is aiming for commercialization of the mRNA-type vaccine, known as DS-5670, in 2022, it said in a statement.