US pharma giant Johnson and Johnson has said it is in discussion with the Government of India to soon begin bridging clinical trials in the country for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Janssen.

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"At Johnson & Johnson, we remain fully focused on bringing a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to people around the world, if authorized for use by local health authorities. We are in discussions with the Government of India with the objective of starting a bridging clinical study of our Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India, subject to local regulatory approvals", a company statement said. A bridging study tests the safety and immunogenicity of a vaccine. Janssen vaccine is currently approved for use in the United States, the European Union and other nations including Thailand and South Africa.

India currently has two approved vaccines in use, one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and the other a shot from local player Bharat Biotech. Faced with a surge in coronavirus cases and heightened demand from states, the country is looking to ramp up its vaccine doses.