Japanese pharmaceutical firm Shionogi will begin a Phase 3 clinical trial on its Covid-19 vaccine this month, mainly in Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Permission was granted after the firm submitted results from pre-clinical studies of the vaccine that demonstrated its safety and immune response, said Bharat Biotech.

Vietnamese medical and scientific experts assigned to research and produce vaccine against COVID-19 believe in positive directions.

The trial, taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, enrolls a total of 45 healthy adults over a six-week time frame, aiming to establish that the vaccine is safe and induces a desired response from participants' immune systems, setting the stage for larger trials this year that will assess its efficacy.