British pharmaceuticals group AstraZeneca has partnered with the University of Oxford to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine being trialled in the UK, the pair has announced.

Human trials of the vaccine developed by the university's Jenner Institute began last week, with hundreds of people volunteering to be part of the study that has received £20 million ($24.7 million, 22.6 million euros) in government funding.

“The collaboration aims to bring to patients the potential vaccine known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, being developed by the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, at the University of Oxford,” said a joint statement.

“Under the agreement, AstraZeneca would be responsible for development and worldwide manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine.”