BANGKOK, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's National Vaccine Institute on Monday announced that two of seven COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been successfully tested on animals and are moving onto human trials.

The two candidates entering Phase 2 trials on humans are the mRNA vaccine being developed by Chula Vaccine Research Centre (Chula VRC) and the DNA vaccine developed by BioNet-Asia, said Dr. Nakorn Premsri, director of the institute.

Chula VRC expects its mRNA vaccine prototype will enter human trials around April 19 next year.

The mRNA prototype will first be tested on 72 volunteers, and if the tests succeed, the Chula prototype will enter second-phase human trials on 600 people.

Meanwhile, the five other vaccine candidates are all currently being tested on animals, according to Nakorn.