After regulatory approval, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech are set to pursue clinical trials of intranasal COVID-19 vaccines in the upcoming months, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

As per Reuters’ report, Vardhan said the late-stage trial sometimes involves 30,000 to 40,000 participants.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), all the vaccines currently in Phase 3 trials, are administered by injection.

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Saturday they have received renewed approval to conduct late-stage clinical trials in India of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine.

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As data released on Sunday showed coronavirus infections rose by another 61,871 over the past 24 hours in the country, the health ministry claimed to see a trend of steadily declining active cases.

Reuters reported the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) promised to revisit its protocol for COVID-19 treatment after the WHO discovered that the commonly used drugs, including remdesivir, had little or no impact on a patient’s chances of surviving.