WHO working with AstraZeneca, SII, Indian government to restart Covid-19 vaccines shipment
NEW DELHI: The WHO is urgently trying to work with AstraZeneca, Serum Institute of India (SII) as well as the Indian government to restart shipments of COVID-19 vaccines to countries that had to suspend the rollout of second doses of vaccines amid the disruption in supplies, a senior official at the UN health agency has […]
Covisheld is the most affordable Covid-19 vaccine available: Serum Institute defends vaccine pricing
NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII), which makes the most used Covid-19 vaccine in the country, on Saturday defended pricing Covishield vaccine at 1.5 times the initial rate, saying the earlier price was based on advance funding and now it has to invest in scaling up and expanding capacity to produce more shots. Serum […]
Vaccinators line up as Oxford/AstraZeneca jab on brink of approval in UK
By Aditi Khanna LONDON: The UK’s National Health Service is lining up thousands of medics and volunteers on Monday to be ready to deliver jabs up and down the country as the Oxford University vaccine against COVID-19 is on the brink of getting regulatory approval. The vaccine, which is being produced by bio-pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca […]
Global partnership COVAX secures 2 billion coronavirus vaccine doses
NEW DELHI: 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. COVAX, the global initiative to […]
Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine set to get clearance by year-end: Report
NEW DELHI: The Oxford University vaccine against COVID-19 being produced by AstraZeneca is likely to get regulatory approval from the UK’s independent regulator by the end of this year for a rollout to begin in early 2021, according to a UK media report. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which had been formally tasked […]
AstraZeneca to buy pharmaceutical firm Alexion for $39 billion
NEW DELHI: Cambridge, England-based AstraZeneca PLC, which is involved in one of the efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, said that it is buying US biotech firm Alexion for $39 billion to boost its work on immunology. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the acquisition. Subject to receipt of regulatory clearances […]
AstraZeneca sells former blockbuster cholesterol drug for $320 million
By Aakash B AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it would sell rights to its erstwhile blockbuster cholesterol drug, Crestor, to German pharmaceutical company Gruenenthal GmbH for an upfront payment of $320 million as the British drugmaker focuses on its cancer treatments portfolio. Crestor, which brought in revenue of over $5 billion for AstraZeneca in 2015, was […]
Covid-19 vaccine review: Narendra Modi to visit Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute and Zydus Biotech Park on Saturday
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit vaccine maker Bharat Biotech’s facility here on Saturday, the Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said. Modi will be arriving at Hakimpet Air Force station in an IAF flight from Pune in the afternoon as s he is also visiting the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, […]
When and which COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available in Asia
NEW DELHI: Pfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca Plc have released trial data this month showing their experimental vaccines are effective in preventing the disease. If regulators approve any of the vaccines in coming weeks, the companies have said distribution could begin almost immediately with governments around the world. But many […]
AstraZeneca manufacturing error clouds COVID-19 vaccine study results
By DANICA KIRKA LONDON: AstraZeneca and Oxford University on Wednesday acknowledged a manufacturing error that is raising questions about preliminary results of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine. A statement describing the error came days after the company and the university described the shots as “highly effective” and made no mention of why some study participants didn’t […]
Q&A: Where are we in the COVID-19 vaccine race?
NEW DELHI: Drug makers and research centres around the world are working on COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants well underway. The following is what we know about the race to deliver vaccines to help end the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than […]
WHO praises AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial pause
GENEVA: A World Health Organization (WHO) official on Tuesday said that the decision by AstraZeneca to pause global trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine after an unexplained illness showed the firm was prioritising safety. “This is what we want to see with trials, it is a well-run trial. Safety is always critical, it is crucial […]