Taiwan's Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp has said it will start a late-stage clinical trial this year in Paraguay for its Covid-19 vaccine, part of the island's push to make its own shots against the coronavirus.

Health authorities in Paraguay have allowed Medigen to run the Phase III trial involving 1,000 volunteers for the shot, MVC-COV1901, the Taiwan-based company said in a filing to the stock exchange, according to a Reuters report.

Medigen said the trial is scheduled to complete in the third quarter and data would be available in the fourth quarter, adding the move will help expand the company's footprint in Central and South America.