AstraZeneca Withdraws Covid-19 Vaccine Globally Due to Lack of Demand

AstraZeneca, the UK-based pharmaceutical company, has announced that it will be withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with Oxford University, from global markets. This decision was confirmed in a statement to Endpoints News on Tuesday.

The company spokesperson revealed that AstraZeneca has ceased both the manufacturing and supply of the vaccine, which was initially approved for emergency use in the UK in December 2020. Since its approval, the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, has been distributed to over 180 countries around the world.

In an emailed statement, the spokesperson explained that the development of multiple Covid-19 vaccines targeting various variants has resulted in an abundance of updated vaccines. Due to this surplus, the demand for Vaxzevria has significantly decreased. Consequently, AstraZeneca has decided to stop its production and distribution.

The company plans to collaborate with regulatory authorities globally to begin the process of withdrawing marketing authorizations for Vaxzevria in regions where no future commercial demand for the vaccine is anticipated.