Astrazeneca initiates global withdrawal of Covid-19 vaccine as demand falls
AstraZeneca vaccine (Source/Unsplash)
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” since the pandemic.
The company also said it would revoke marketing authorizations for the Vaxzevria vaccine in Europe.
“As multiple variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines,” the company said, adding that this had led to a drop in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer produced or supplied .
According to media reports, the British-Swedish drugmaker previously admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low platelet counts.
The company’s application to withdraw the vaccine was submitted on March 5 and became effective on May 7, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the development.
London-listed AstraZeneca entered respiratory syncytial virus vaccines and anti-obesity drugs through separate deals last year, after a slowdown as sales of Covid-19 drugs fell.
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First print: May 8, 2024 | 7:06 am IST