AstraZeneca admits defeat in America: The vaccine maker finally abandons the plan to have the Covid injection approved in the US

AstraZeneca is no longer trying to get its Covid vaccine into the US after regulators refused to sign off on the record.

The British pharmaceutical giant’s vaccine was approved in the UK and Europe at the start of the pandemic.

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to give the green light due to incomplete data and fears that the sting could be linked to blood clots.

After a stalemate of more than a year, AstraZeneca has now abandoned its bid.

Pfizer, on the other hand, boasted to investors last week that the Covid pandemic will remain a “multi-billion dollar” franchise for years to come. It is estimated that it made $80 billion from the pandemic.

AstraZeneca was the only vaccine maker to sell its injections at cost, at about $3 a dose. In comparison, Pfizer and Moderna sold them for about $19 each.

The above shows the four Covid vaccinations approved for use in the US. Pfizer and Moderna Jabs, which are based on mRNA technology, were the first to withdraw

AstraZeneca said its US emergency permit application was being abandoned after it became “too complicated”.

CEO Pascal Soriot said: ‘With primary vaccine needs already met in the US, AstraZeneca has decided not to submit Vaxzevria for US biologics approval.

“The company will continue to focus its efforts on ensuring availability of Vaxzevria in other parts of the world, including requests for use as a booster.”

AstraZeneca’s vaccine was based on traditional adenovirus technology, which uses a weakened common cold virus to deliver a piece of Covid’s spike protein and train cells to recognize it.

It was less effective than Pfizer and Moderna’s new mRNA triggers, which work similarly but slightly differently.

They use RNA, a messenger molecule that sends instructions to cells on how to defend themselves against a virus.

Although similar, studies and field data have shown that the mRNA vaccines provide stronger and longer lasting protection.

AstraZeneca originally expected to apply for FDA approval in 2020.

However, there were concerns about the lack of older people in the shot maker’s trials of its vaccine.

Only two people over 65 contracted Covid during the studies, out of 660 participants in that age group.

When the vaccine was launched in Europe, a small but growing number of reports of fatal blood clots caused further hesitation.

A number of EU countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, have restricted or temporarily suspended the vaccine to certain age groups.

Some countries such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden have stopped using AstraZeneca altogether.

The vaccine can cause a chain reaction that causes the body to mistake its own platelets for fragments of the virus.

For reasons that scientists are still investigating, the body then sees these platelets as a threat and produces antibodies to fight them.

The aggregation of platelets and antibodies leads to the formation of dangerous blood clots.

Yesterday, AstraZeneca said its US emergency permit application was being abandoned after it became too complicated.

About 68 percent of Americans – or 227 million people – have already had two shots against Covid.

The Anglo-Swedish giant – whose vaccine was backed by the British government – provided the cheapest shot at the Covid pandemic.

It cost about $3.50 per dose and was intended to make doping accessible to third world countries.

By comparison, Pfizer and Moderna’s jabs cost about $19 per dose.

AstraZeneca’s Jab was approved in the UK in late 2020 and in Europe early next year.

America acquired up to 300 million vaccine doses pending FDA approval early in the pandemic.

However, most were shipped to third world countries after the US refused to give them the green light for deployment.

AstraZeneca is also behind the antibody cocktail Evusheld, which is approved in the US to treat patients at high risk of Covid.

Demand for AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine is falling worldwide, with sales of the vaccine falling 80 percent from $1.05 billion a year ago to $173 million in the third quarter of this year.

The vaccine is widely available in developing countries, with three billion doses sold worldwide to date.

While demand for the vaccine is waning, the other coronavirus treatment – a preventive antibody therapy called Evusheld – is enjoying strong sales.

The company posted $537 million in third-quarter sales of Evusheld, which targets people with compromised immune systems, after it received US emergency use approval last December.

AstraZeneca’s results on Thursday also showed the group upgraded its earnings outlook based on better-than-expected performance so far this year.

Core earnings per share could grow at a “high 20s to low 30s rate,” against previous expectations for a mid-to-high 20s increase thanks to strong demand for drugs like Farxiga for diabetes and Tagrisso for cancer .