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As the world races towards a vaccine, public concerns over safety are being stirred.

That's already prompted nine leading developers to issue a pledge to uphold scientific standards and testing rigour.

More than 40 experimental COVID-19 vaccines are currently being tested on humans

Yet insurance companies who assess the risks of such trials, say they don't see anything to be unduly concerned about.

Insurer Allianz and brokers Gallagher and Marsh are among the leading players in clinical trials insurance.

Executives at both told Reuters that premiums had only marginally increased so far, saying there is little structural difference to trials carried out in the past.

The unfazed approach comes despite drugmakers competing to shatter the fastest time in history for developing a vaccine, which stands at around four years.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University temporarily suspended trials of their experimental vaccine last month after a participant fell ill.

But insurers said such delays were not unexpected, and could even reflect the extra caution of developers.

Executives also said that premiums have not risen sharply because claims from trials are generally uncommon.

Adding that patients have often signed so-called informed consent agreements.

There have been examples in the past of drug trials going catastrophically wrong, though.

But insurance execs say they are rare, given the thousands of clinical drug trials being carried out every year.

And that pharma companies and insurers are "even more careful than usual with COVID-19 trials because there is so much at stake."