MANILA, Philippines — Australian company Vaxine Pty Ltd has expressed interest in conducting a clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine candidate in the country, the Department of Science and Technology said Monday.

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the biotechnology firm based in Australia has informed the department that it is willing to conduct clinical trial and manufacturing of its potential vaccines against COVID-19 in the Philippines.

“It is quite recent in terms of expressing interest,” de la Peña said in a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines. He did not provide other details.

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker of the New York Times, Vaxine’s candidate vaccine combines “viral proteins with an adjuvant that stimulates the immune system.”

The Phase 2 trial for the candidate vaccine is expected to begin by the end of the year. Phase 2 studies involve up to several hundred individuals and aim to define the optimal dose and safety profile of vaccine candidates.

Earlier, the vaccine candidate of Chinese drug maker Sinovac Biotech hurdled the initial stage of screening for clinical trials in the country after passing the review of the vaccine experts panel chaired by the DOST. It is still undergoing the evaluation of the Single Joint Ethics Research Board.

The World Health Organization-led solidarity trial for COVID-19 vaccines will start in September in the Philippines. It was initially scheduled to begin by end-October.

The country is in talks with 17 companies as it seeks to source a vaccine that will help end one of the worst outbreaks in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines’ COVID-19 caseload reached 371,630 Monday, with 7,039 deaths.