German biotechnology company BioNTech SE (Nasdaq:BNTX), the development partner with Pfizer for a COVID-19 vaccine, on 24 September 2020 joined other leading COVID-19 vaccine developers in ruling out participation in Britain's plans to test experimental inoculations by deliberately infecting trial volunteers.

According to a spokesman of the company, "BioNTech's vaccine candidate is not part of this study."

Britain said it was working with partners on the potential for human challenge trials without commenting on a specific plan.

AstraZeneca and Sanofi both have said their vaccine candidates were not involved in the programme, Reuters added.