Currently, three Covid vaccines are being administered in India. (Representational)
Four COVID-19 vaccine candidates are at different stages of human trials while one, developed by Genique Life Sciences, is in the advanced pre-clinical stage, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.
In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Singh said Cadila Healthcare Ltd's DNA-based vaccine candidate is in phase three clinical trial. It has also submitted the interim data for emergency use authorisation.
Biological E Ltd's vaccine candidate is also in phase three clinical trial.
Bharat Biotech International Ltd's Adeno intranasal vaccine candidate is in phase three clinical trial, while Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd's mRNA-vaccine candidate is in Phase one clinical trial.
The Gurgaon-based Genique Life Sciences Pvt Ltd's vaccine candidate is in the advanced pre-clinical stage, Singh said.
Currently, three vaccines --- Serum Institute of India's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Russian vaccine Sputnik V --- are being administered in India.
Mr Singh said "Mission COVID Suraksha -- the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission" was announced as part of the third stimulus package "Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0' for promoting research and development of Indian COVID-19 vaccines.
"The mission is supporting the development of four vaccine candidates in the clinical stage of development and one vaccine candidate in advance pre-clinical stage of development.
"The clinical development of vaccine candidates is being undertaken across the clinical trial sites situated pan-India," he added.