US pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) has announced, that along with its German partner BioNTech, it proposes expanding Phase 3 clinical of its COVID-19 vaccine trials to include 44,000 participants and more diverse patient populations, including people as young as 16, CNN reported on Monday.

According to a news release, this is an increase from the initial plan of 30,000 participants, a benchmark the companies plan to meet next week,

Reportedly, this proposal, which would need approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), would allow the companies to collect more data on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate, while diversifying the pool of participants.

Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, was quoted as telling CBS: "I think we should strive to have as more diverse population as possible," stressing the importance of having a diverse group of volunteers given the heightened impact COVID-19 has had on communities of colour.

"But right now we are not bad. Actually, we have a population that globally only 60% are Caucasians, 40%, approximately, minorities," he said.