AZ vaccine
AstraZeneca Plc has withdrawn its Covid-19 vaccine from the market due to a lack of demand for a shot that initially raised hopes it would play a key role in protecting the world against the virus.
The marketing authorization for the vaccine Vaxzevria in the European Union was revoked this week at the company's request as the vaccine is no longer manufactured or supplied, Astra said in a statement. The decision was not related to safety reasons, the report said.
Astra's vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, was initially offered on a not-for-profit basis and was seen as a victory for Britain, with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson publicly receiving his first dose. However, its rollout has been plagued by concerns about its efficacy and safety, starting with French President Emmanuel Macron calling it “quasi-ineffective” in older adults shortly after it was approved in the EU.
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The vaccine, which did not require ultra-cold storage like some of the competing Covid-19 vaccines, was seen as a good option to inoculate large parts of the world. More than 3 billion doses were delivered.
After Macron's comments, a bigger blow came when regulators began investigating the vaccine's link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots. Regulators ultimately concluded that the risk-benefit ratio of the vaccine was positive.
As countries scrambled to procure booster shots for populations, Astra's vaccine was sidelined in favor of shots using mRNA technology, especially one developed by a partnership of BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. Astra is facing legal challenges from families of patients who died after receiving the vaccine. .
Companies like Pfizer and Moderna Inc. have since developed updated Covid-19 vaccines that target newer variants. Astra said this has led to “a surplus of available, updated vaccines” and a decline in demand for its shot.