There are now 70 coronavirus vaccines in development worldwide

Scientists around the world are scrambling to find a vaccine — the ultimate Covid-19 panacea.

There are now 70 candidate vaccines in development, up from to 44 on March 20, according to a document from WHO published Saturday. Experts expect it to take between 12 and 18 months to get a vaccine approved for mass use.

Of the 70 Covid-19 vaccines in development, only three are currently in clinical trials, meaning they are being tested on humans. Clinical trials are designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a new drug and consist of several phases, each involving more patients.

China’s CanSino Biological, in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, is in the lead, with the only candidate vaccine currently in phase two trials. U.S. players Moderna and Inovio Pharmaceuticals are the other two developers testing vaccines on humans and both are currently in phase one. The remaining 67 potential vaccines are still only in the pre-clinical trial stage.

To bridge the gap between now and then — when a vaccine is approved — scientists continue to search for effective treatments, with efforts focused on several existing drugs.

Read more via CNBC