(09.02.2021)
It expects to have a vaccine designed to address the variant discovered in South Africa ready by autumn.
Archiv: production / capacities / orders / deliveries
AstraZeneca expects updated COVID-19 vaccine by autumn
(14.02.2021)
The Anglo-Swedish company, which makes a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, said it is working with the university’s scientists to adapt the shot to combat new variants.
Masks and social distancing could stay until AUTUMN at earliest – sources
(12.02.2021)
SAGE member Professor John Edmunds painted a darker picture and suggested the measures could last even longer.
He told ITV’s Peston face masks could be required „probably forever“ if COVID-19 becomes endemic in the UK.
New Covid vaccines could be made in 40 DAYS if they need updating to tackle mutated variants, taskforce chief says
Dr Dix added: ‚I think 40 days would be a real stretch but we would aim for something as good as that.
‚But certainly within 60 days and then, after that, we would start the manufacturing.‘
Manufacturing vaccines takes different amounts of time depending on the type of jab.
WHO approves AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use
„We continue to call for Covid-19 vaccine developers to submit their dossiers to WHO for review at the same time as they submit them to regulators in high-income countries,“ he said.
A WHO statement said it had approved the vaccine as produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Institute of India.
EU vaccine drive is a ‚fiasco‘, says Guy Verhofstadt
„Europe is no more, no less than the world leader in vaccine production today. More than 75 per cent of vaccines worldwide are produced in Europe. Nevertheless, there is a crucial lack of supply,“ he said, adding the UK, Canada, Israel and the US are not facing the same shortages.
Belgian plant blamed for AstraZeneca vaccine shortage says it met all deliveries
(10.02.2021)
AstraZeneca subcontracted the plant — previously owned by Novasep — to produce the drug substance of its vaccine. Volanti would not say how many doses the plant was contracted to provide. He said the plant sends its drug substance to an Italian company to be put into vials and packaged for distribution.
AstraZeneca declined to comment on Thermo Fisher’s remarks, according to Reuters.
South Africa switches to J&J’s ‘silver bullet’ as AstraZeneca vaccine falters against local variant of coronavirus
“Unfortunately, viruses mutate. Sometimes this is by accident. But often the reason is that the virus wants to become more adept to infect the host.”
This, Madhi explained, was what had happened with the South African variant as well as another variant that was first identified in the United Kingdom.
Vaccines: contract between European Commission and AstraZeneca now published
Following the renewed request from the European Commission on 27 January 2021, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to publish the redacted contract signed between the two parties on 27 August 2020.
The Commission welcomes the company’s commitment towards more transparency in its participation in the rollout of the EU Vaccines Strategy.
Why has Germany advised against Oxford/AstraZeneca jab for over-65s?
Prof Andy Pollard, of the University of Oxford, said the lack of data is understandable. “In our trials, the older adults were recruited later and, because they were recruited later there has been less time for cases to occur, and, older adults are known to be more cautious in the pandemic, meaning the ‘attack rate’ is lower,” he said.
AstraZeneca has stressed that older adults were recruited later because the team wanted to be sure the vaccine was safe before administering it to older age groups.
Nicola Sturgeon accused of siding with EU over vaccinations
Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of siding with the EU in its battle with the UK over vaccine doses, with the Scottish First Minister pledging to publish confidential vaccine data despite warnings that the information could jeopardise the UK’s supply.
Ms Sturgeon promised to publish the data – which reveals how many vaccine doses her nation expects each week – to counter claims that she is failing to rollout the vaccine in Scotland at speed.
Nicola Sturgeon is accused of taking the EU’s side and risking vaccine rollout as she vows to publish details of UK’s supplies despite Boris Johnson ordering her to keep them secret – as Brussels claims AstraZeneca is giving Britain too much
Despite the PM warning that the information must be confidential to protect the rollout, Ms Sturgeon told Holyrood she will release it from next week ‚regardless of what they say‘.
The timing of Ms Sturgeon’s intervention was particularly provocative given that it came as Mr Johnson was on an official visit to Scotland to make the case for the Union.
Vaccine factory in Belgium inspected amid European Union dispute with AstraZeneca
The Novasep’s factory in the town of Seneffe is part of the European production chain for the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
Germany blocks Oxford jab for over-65s: Panel says data on older people is insufficient – but does not support ‚8% effectiveness‘ claim – amid EU row with Britain over AstraZeneca supplies
AstraZeneca’s vaccine has not been granted approval yet for general use in the European Union, but the bloc’s medicines regulator EMA is poised to authorise it on Friday.
The German panel, STIKO did not detail the data from clinical trials on the vaccine on older people, but two prominent German media outlets had reported that the efficacy on above-65s was below 10 per cent.
The EU Commission has confirmed that a meeting with the Astrazeneca pharmaceutical company will go ahead later today.
The meeting comes as a row escalates over the supply of its coronavirus vaccine. #sabcnews
German media savages the EU for its vaccine shambles and tears into Ursula von der Leyen’s UK jabs threat – while jealously admiring ‚Brexit Brits‘ for ordering vaccines THREE MONTHS before Brussels
Embarrassingly for the bloc, it appears that Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy had originally been looking to do a deal with AstraZeneca in May alongside the UK – but were blocked by the EU, which insisted it take over negotiations.
According to ITV’s Robert Peston: ‚The extra talks with the European Commission led to no material changes to the contract, but wasted time on making arrangements to make the vaccine with partner sites.‘
India’s Serum Institute says AstraZeneca vaccine output unaffected due to fire
(21.01.2021)
SII has licensed the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Many low- and middle-income countries, from Bangladesh to Brazil, are depending on SII delivering the vaccine, known as COVISHIELD in India, to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.
500,000 vials of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine will arrive in #SriLanka tomorrow at 11 am on an Air India flight which will be donated by the Indian govt to the Sri Lankan health ministry.
Under this program, 250,000 front line workers will be vaccinated – Lalith Weeratunga
AstraZeneca says it has not pulled out of talks with the EU on vaccine deliveries, plans meeting later Wednesday
AstraZeneca says it has not pulled out of talks with the EU on vaccine deliveries, plans meeting later Wednesday.
AstraZeneca cancels steering board meeting with EU
The cancellation follows an explosive interview with AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot on Tuesday night, in which he insisted the company didn’t have a contractual obligation but rather a „best effort“ to supply the EU with its vaccine.
Instead of the meeting, the company will respond in writing to Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides‘ demand for more information, the Commission official said. AstraZeneca did not immediately confirm this plan.
Biden administration orders 200 million more doses of Covid-19 vaccines
The government is seeking 100 million doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million from Moderna, an order that would be made available over the summer. They would be in addition to the 400 million combined doses the companies had already committed to provide the U.S., Biden said. He said he expects to be able to confirm the purchase soon.
Pfizer will supply the US with 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses 2 months sooner than expected because of ‚extra‘ doses extracted from vials
Pfizer will supply the US with 200 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine two months sooner than expected, according to the firm’s chief executive.
Coronavirus: Germany rejects ‚mixed up‘ reports on AstraZeneca jab
The reports emerged in Handelsblatt, a respected financial daily, and the mass-circulation Bild, quoting sources within Germany’s governing coalition.
ASTRAZENECA HAS PROPOSED TO THE EU TO BRING FORWARD START OF SUPPLIES OF ITS COVID-19 VACCINE TO FEB 7 FROM FEB 15 – EU SOURCES
EXCLUSIVE-ASTRAZENECA HAS PROPOSED TO THE EU TO BRING FORWARD START OF SUPPLIES OF ITS COVID-19 VACCINE TO FEB 7 FROM FEB 15 – EU SOURCES
UK government ‚confident‘ in Pfizer jabs supply despite EU threat to block COVID vaccine exports
The European Commission has warned it will impose controls on vaccines that could affect the UK’s supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which is shipped from its manufacturing base in Belgium.
But vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News on Tuesday: “I’m confident that the Pfizer vaccine will be delivered.
EU to monitor vaccine exports, but says it’s not a ban
EU countries learnt late last week that deliveries of the vaccine from AstraZeneca, which is expected to be approved on Friday, would be some 60% lower in the first quarter than initially indicated.
There have also been reduced deliveries of a vaccine jointly produced by Pfizer and BioNTech.
In an exclusive interview with @dw_politics German health minister @jensspahn calls for a licensing requirement for the export of vaccines outside the EU. Given the state funds spent on building up production capacity this is not about EU “first, but fair” Spahn told me.
‚F***ing bonkers!‘ UK attacks Germany over Oxford vaccine ‚lies‘ – EU row erupts
Another Westminster official said: “The efficacy claims circulating in the German media are unsubstantiated and incorrect.”
Speaking to Politico, a third added: “After this, support for Brexit will be at about 90 percent.”
The claims in the German media were made on the same day a row broke out between the European Union and AstraZeneca over supplies of the vaccine to the continent.
Coronavirus: NOVASEP partners with ASTRAZENECA to produce Covid-19 Oxford vaccine for Europe
(15.06.2020)
Novasep brings to AstraZeneca more than 20 years of expertise in viral vector production. Novasep’s investment strategy in the large-scale production of biopharmaceutical products for immunotherapy and gene therapy enables Novasep to support the alliance for the production of the vaccine active substance in Europe.
The production operations will be carried out at Novasep’s Belgian site in Seneffe. Furthermore, the biopharmaceutical ecosystem in the region allows Novasep to rapidly mobilize the additional human resources needed to achieve this project.
Where is the Pfizer vaccine made? USA headquarters but produced in Europe!
(December 2020)
Most of the UK’s supply of the vaccine is being produced at Pfizer’s facilities in Puurs, Belgium.
Some does are also being made at BioNTech’s sites in Germany.
The great vaccine blockade? EU threat to cut off UK’s supply of Pfizer jabs will ‚poison relations for a generation‘ as Germans are accused of ‚Russian-style‘ disinformation over ‚rubbish‘ claim that AstraZeneca version is just 8% effective in elderly
Meanwhile, there is another row raging after two German newspapers claimed the EU’s regulator could refuse to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab full approval, with officials anonymously briefing its efficacy for pensioners was just eight per cent.
However, the claim was branded ‚absolutely incorrect‘ and ‚unsubstantiated‘ by the pharmaceutical company – and No10 sources told MailOnline it was ‚rubbish‘. One Whitehall source told Playbook it was the kind of tactics ‚you expect from the Russians‘.
With our Member States, we have requested from AZ a detailed planning of vaccine deliveries and when distribution will take place to Member States. Another meeting will be convened on Wednesday to discuss the matter further.
In addition, today we discussed with the 27 Member States in the Steering Board that an export transparency mechanism will be put in place as soon as possible. We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.
Press statement by Commissioner Kyriakides on vaccine deliveries and on the vaccine export transparency scheme
Good evening.
You know that AstraZeneca’s vaccine is currently in the final stages of the approval process with the European Medicines Agency.
If all requirements are met, the European Medicines Agency could recommend market authorisation by the end of this week.
But there is a problem on the supply side.
Last Friday, the company AstraZeneca surprisingly informed the Commission and the European Union Member States that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced.
This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union.
Coronavirus: EU locks horns with AstraZeneca on vaccine deliveries amid ‘supply shock’
n a sign of the EU’s frustration – after Pfizer also announced a temporary slowdown in vaccine supplies earlier in January – EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides proposed forcing drug makers to register in advance their Covid-19 vaccine exports, so the bloc can keep track of what they are doing.
India clears vaccine exports to Brazil after delay
(21.01.2021)
Brazil is set to collect two million doses of Serum Institute’s (SII) Covishield vaccine, two weeks after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their “urgent” clearance, sources confirmed to The Hindu.
South Africa authorities approve Serum Institute of India’s COVID-19 vaccine
(23.01.2021)
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Friday that the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has granted approval to the SII, which is producing the vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, to supply the drug to the country.
. @EU_Commission and Member States expressed deep dissatisfaction with this. We insisted on a precise delivery schedule on the basis of which Member States should be planning their vaccination programs, subject to the granting of a contitional marketing authorisation. /2
The @EU_Commission will continue to insist with @AstraZeneca on measures to increase predictability and stability of deliveries, and acceleration of the distribution of doses/3.
COVID-19: AstraZeneca to ‚cut COVID-19 vaccine delivery to EU by 60%‘
The company was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, an EU official told the agency.
However, it now expects that to be cut to 31 million doses due to „production problems“ at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.
Pfizer Will Ship Fewer Vaccine Vials to Account for ‘Extra’ Doses
After the surprise discovery of an extra dose in every vial, Pfizer executives successfully lobbied the F.D.A. to change the vaccine’s formal authorization language. The company charges by the dose.
AstraZeneca: ‘Manufacturing should take lion’s share of credit for vaccine success’
Back in March, Oxford University had “a limited manufacturing and supply capacity so they needed a partner,” Srinivasan said. “We decided to immediately offer our capacity in terms of the global reach. But that was only the beginning. Then we had to establish various alliances whether public partnerships that have been governments, or with for profit organizations or CMOs [some of which can be found here, here, and here], or not for profit organizations such as The Gates Alliance, GAVI, CEPI, and other organizations.”
Slow vaccine rollout could make lockdown last PAST Easter as Priti Patel blames AstraZeneca and Pfizer for causing ’supply issues‘ by ‚upgrading their factories‘ – even though ’21m doses are already in UK‘ and Scotland is ’sitting on 400k‘
Priti Patel today blamed AstraZeneca and Pfizer for an alarming slowdown in the UK’s vaccine rollout – amid warnings the target of giving jabs to the 14million most vulnerable people by mid-February is now ‚very tight‘.
The Home Secretary pointed the finger at the firms after the daily rate fell for a third consecutive day, saying ‚upgrades‘ at factories and ‚reconfiguring‘ of supply chains were causing delays.
India starts world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive
India on Jan. 4 approved emergency use of two vaccines, one developed by Oxford University and U.K.-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and another by Indian company Bharat Biotech. Cargo planes flew 16.5 million shots to different Indian cities last week.
China’s Kangtai starts mid-stage trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate
(29.10.2020)
Apart from developing its own vaccine, Kangtai also has a deal to make and supply mainland China with the vaccine candidate developed by AstraZeneca and researchers at the University of Oxford.
China’s ‘King of Vaccines,’ a partner to AstraZeneca, is plagued by scandal.
(Dec. 7, 2020)
Kangtai will be the exclusive manufacturer in mainland China for the vaccine made by AstraZeneca, and the companies could work together on deals for other countries. Kangtai is also in early trials for its own candidate.
UPDATE 1-Brazil’s Fiocruz says AstraZeneca vaccine ingredients may be delayed weeks
(08.01.2021)
A source with knowledge of the situation said the active
ingredient is ready to be shipped to Brazil, but is still
waiting for an export license from China, where it is produced.
COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months
(01.01.2021)
„At the moment it doesn’t look good – a hole is appearing because there’s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.
Global partnership COVAX secures two billion COVID-19 vaccine doses
(19.12.2020)
UNITED NATIONS: Global vaccine partnership COVAX has lined up almost two billion doses of existing and candidate COVID-19 vaccines for use worldwide, including 200 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine through an agreement between the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, the Serum Institute of India and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Wrexham factory to produce millions of doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
(30.12.2020)
The Wrexham plant is able to produce around 300 million doses of the vaccine each year, and has been producing 150,000 phials a day for months in readiness to roll out the vaccine across the UK.
The CP Pharmaceuticals lab will carry out the „fill and finish“ stage of the manufacturing process. This involves dispensing the vaccine into vials ready for it to be sent out across the country.
The 18-month agreement with parent company Wockhardt was announced back in August.
Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield gets emergency use approval in India
An expert panel on Covid-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Friday granted emergency use authorisation for the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India, sources said on Friday.
COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months
„At the moment it doesn’t look good – a hole is appearing because there’s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.
PROFESSOR ANGUS DALGLEISH: The Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is as close to a miracle as medicine ever gets
Everyone can see what a serious emergency this is. We have to act. Bin the bureaucracy, and get this miracle vaccine to work right now.
UK’s Covid-19 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine on course to be ready by end of 2020
The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine – enough for the entire population
Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine production begins in Australia
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that it will take CSL about 50 days to completely process the vaccine. According to the newspaper, the company has separate contracts with AstraZeneca and the Australian government for the production of the vaccine.
The AstraZeneca vaccine still needs to be approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Phase three clinical trials of the vaccine are expected to wrap up by the end of this year.
The tube that could change the world: First vial of COVID-19 vaccine ’starting material‘ after Australian breakthrough – with millions to be made from tomorrow
Biotechnology giant CSL announced they would start producing the AstraZeneca AZD1222 coronavirus vaccine at its factory in Melbourne this week.
About 30million doses will be manufactured as part of a first-of-its-kind agreement with the Australian government, with the company hoping to release them in the first half of 2021 pending clinical trials and approval.
The jab, which was produced at the University of Oxford, is seen as the leading candidate across the globe and is in final-stage trials.
Report: Netanyahu aware of Emirati arms deal, UAE official says
The UAE official added that Israel, the United States and the Emiratis agreed to bolster the military capabilities of the Gulf kingdom as an integral part of the peace deal.
Israel procured its first two F-35 jets in 2016 and has reportedly been using the aircraft in some of the strikes in Syria, becoming the first nation to deploy the jets in combat.
As of today, the Jewish state is also the only Middle East nation to have the jet in its air force, with Turkey booted out of the F-35 program in 2019.
UAE Is an ‚Advanced Democracy,‘ Netanyahu Said – Then Deleted
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, the leading television channel in the UAE, Netanyahu was asked how the normalization deal between the UAE and Israel will serve regional peace. He answered: „Vastly. The deal connects the UAE with Israel; both of them are advanced democracies and their societies are advanced.“ Netanyahu uploaded a video of the interview to his Twitter account, and deleted it shortly after.
Netanyahu denies Israel-UAE deal included secret clause on F-35s
Why it matters: U.S. law requires the administration to consult with Israel before selling arms to any Arab country to ensure Israel can maintain its qualitative military edge. It must also report to Congress on the matter.
This morning, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the normalization deal included a secret clause, approved by Netanyahu, about F-35 sales to the UAE.
Saudi Arabia buys $300m spyware from Israel
(20.06.2019)
The sources stressed that the Saudi intelligence services have sought to obtain advanced spyware in order to trace the Kingdom’s citizens – both in the country and abroad – amidst increasing criticism of the Saudi royal family.
Saudi Arabia therefore reached out to the Israeli market and struck a deal worth $300m with representatives of Israeli firms, the sources said, adding that both sides met and reached the deal in UK capital London.
S. Korea to send 50,000 tons of rice to N. Korea via WFP
It marks the first time for South Korea to provide rice to North Korea since 2010, when it sent 5,000 tons to support its efforts to recover from flood damage.
The Trump summit in Hanoi broke down, but Xi’s Pyongyang visit is set to give Kim political capital – and tonnes of food
– In a state visit this week, the Chinese president is expected to provide massive aid to the North, with reports anticipating at least 100,000 tonnes of food
– International food organisations say 10 million people, or 40 per cent of North Korea’s population, are in urgent need of sustenance