AstraZeneca pulls out of meeting with EU on vaccine delay
Drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc has pulled out of a call with governments on coronavirus vaccine delays, according to European Union officials, which would mark another escalation in a tense blame game between the two sides.
As Bloomberg news agency reported, the EU is pressing the company to reconsider the move because it wants executives to provide more details on what is happening to the planned deliveries of shots, one of the officials said on condition of anonymity. Astra couldn’t confirm if the call is canceled.
The discussions were intended to resolve the stand-off between the company and EU governments, but the buildup has been marked by disagreement over contract terms, accusations, and even threats to Astra’s business. Since the company warned late last week of delays at a production plant in Belgium, the EU has reacted furiously, saying it will start monitoring exports of shots. Germany even signaled support for imposing limits on sales outside the bloc.
But Astra Chief Executive Pascal Soriot, in an interview with European newspapers, deflected the responsibility to the EU. He said the company has a so-called best-effort agreement that doesn’t specify a quantity. That’s because the EU insisted on receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine about the same time as the U.K. despite putting in its order three months later.