Unlisted biotech firm IDT Biologika has won approval from Germany's vaccine regulator to become the third German company after BioNTech and CureVac to launch human trials of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in the country.

The trial of the vaccine, which has been developed with the German Centre for Infection Research, will be conducted on 30 participants aged between 18 and 55 who will receive two vaccinations at four-week intervals, according to Reuters.

A larger Phase II trial, which will include elderly volunteers, is planned for the end of this year if the results of the early stage study show the vaccine is safe and produces an immune response.

Hundreds of potential Covid-19 vaccines are in various stages of development, with 41 prospects in human trials across the globe.