AstraZeneca says EU loses legal bid for more vaccine

[EasterIssland]

AstraZeneca says EU loses legal bid for more vaccine supplies by end-June

AstraZeneca (AZN.L) on Friday said the European Union had lost a legal case against the pharmaceutical firm over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines as a court in Brussels rejected an EU request for more deliveries by the end of June.

The Anglo-Swedish firm committed in a contract to do its best to deliver to the 27-nation bloc 300 million doses by the end of June, but production problems led the pharmaceutical company to revise down its target to 100 million vaccines.

The cuts in the supplies delayed the EU's vaccination drive in the first quarter of the year, when the bloc had initially bet on AstraZeneca to deliver the largest volume of jabs. That led to a bitter dispute and to the EU's legal action to get at least 120 million doses by the end of June.

But the judge said the company should only deliver 80.2 million doses by a deadline of Sept. 27, AstraZeneca said.

www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-says-eu-loses-legal-bid-more-vaccine-supplies-by-end-june-2021-06-18/

@Humphriescushion

Oh yippee another EU bashing thread! Vaccines in FRance are going great and now outstripping the uk and other EU countries doing even better. And just saw that Astra was found to be in breach of contract. People in France are largely glad that did not get astra zenaca.

You see, I just don't understand this argument at all. Looking at ourworldindata.org, the figures for fully vaccinated are as follows:

UK: 45.2
EU: 26.1
France: 23.1
Netherlands: 27.8

That's all as a percentage of total (not adult) population. Netherlands is as of June 17th, the others as of June 16th.

The graphs are running roughly parallel - there's certainly no sense that the EU are closing the gap. France and the EU are not outstripping the UK; they're lagging badly behind.

On the question of the legal case, I agree with those who have said it would be very helpful to read the full judgement. If anyone has seen it in English I'd be grateful for a link. However, given the EU's stated goal was to get more jabs, which this has not achieved, it seems hard to see that the EU can claim it as any other than an empty victory.

As I say, I await reading the judgement. But this rather confirms my initial view that this was much more about political arsecovering than actually getting vaccines.

From Dave Keating on twitter:

AstraZeneca can easily meet this delivery schedule so in that sense it's a win for them.

But the judge has upheld idea that AZ is in breach of contract, which is important because now Commission could pursue damages.

@Cailleach1

From Dave Keating on twitter:

AstraZeneca can easily meet this delivery schedule so in that sense it's a win for them.

But the judge has upheld idea that AZ is in breach of contract, which is important because now Commission could pursue damages.

So no penalty after this decision now but there could be?

Dave Keating is where you go if you want a very pro EU anti UK take on things. Truth and him aren't really friends.

That said it does seem a bit confusing all the different takes on it.

@Humphriescushion

My point is that have been sick of all the anti EU threads on here over the last few months, they have been disgusting. Little gets through when the EU is doing well.

Maybe stick to the threads in the Brexit topic. No criticism of the EU is permitted on those so you will be amongst friends there.

I would like some more clarification.

Have they found AZ in breach or have they said they may be in breach and that will be decided in the other court case?

People on here seriously think countries will leave the EU over this?

Actually I am very happy they decided to not offer AstraZeneca over here, instead Pfizer or Moderns is used for everyone under 65. If it was up to me the Brits can keep AZ.

Politico article at www.politico.eu/article/belgian-court-rules-in-astrazenecas-favor-in-vaccine-dispute-dismisses-commissions-case/

Dave Keating has the actual text of the judgement in French. Sorry, not seen a translation yet. Looks like the Guardian article is wrong to me.

@CuteOrangeElephant

People on here seriously think countries will leave the EU over this?

Actually I am very happy they decided to not offer AstraZeneca over here, instead Pfizer or Moderns is used for everyone under 65. If it was up to me the Brits can keep AZ.

No I don’t think other countries will leave

People on here seriously think countries will leave the EU over this?

This has been damaging for the EU definitely. But no I think that's a daft thought.

Marsha, possibly on the basis of the decision. Only fiscal penalty seems to be the 70% of costs.

It is an unfortunate mess. I wonder if they will come to some fiscal agreement, or if the doses will go into Covax. Still approved by the EMA and many national regulatory authorities as benefits outweighing the risks. As is Janssen.

Surely they now need to sue Janssen? As they have also failed in their deliveries. I have not seen the same reaction.

I know its a different situation on the vaccine fron now bit surely you have got to treat all your suppliers the same?

I do think the UK has been unpleasantly smug ever since the vaccination race started, and that if the situations were reversed there would be bitter complaints about AZ breaching their obligations on here.

Follow the money, and origins, on that one, I think

I haven't heard Janssen were accused of breaching any contract and not using their best efforts. Who is accusing them of that?

I think that people here were frustrated about how slow the roll-out was to start, but now the campaign is going well, everyone who wants a vaccine can get an appointment and numbers have dropped right down, the emphasis is on moving forward. The incidence where we live in France is 22 per 100,000 and that feels very positive.
This has never been about a competition between countries.
I think people felt let down by the shortages of the AZ vaccine and the paucity of their "best efforts" back in early spring, but it is really not part of the picture now.

Their connection with AZ is that both use adenovirus vectors, and there is some suspension of use because of the clotting events.

The EU now is a good position, vaccinations are catching up and Covid passports mean people will be able to travel this summer. Numbers are rising in U.K. and Quarantine is still needed in many places. Italy will now insist on a 5 day quarantine travelling from U.K.

@Marty13

I do think the UK has been unpleasantly smug ever since the vaccination race started, and that if the situations were reversed there would be bitter complaints about AZ breaching their obligations on here.

If AZ had supplied to EU 1st from British plants of course we would be fuming! Especially since we were the ones who paid to get that manufacture up and running.

The UK got one small batch of AZ delivered from EU if I understand it right.

I'm not sure about smug! I've just been appalled at the disproportionate way the EU reacted and made it into a vaccine war. The UK press didn't help.

As a Brit I was pleased the UK was doing well but wished the EU put the same effort into getting the sites up and running. Vaccinating everyone quickly benefits us all.

@HilaryThorpe

I would have thought that AZ ordered to pay 70% of costs and EU to pay 30% gives the balance of the judgement for and against.

This seems to me to be a really strange way to measure success. "We didn't get any more vaccines, but the other guys have to pay 70% of our legal bills".

If they hadn't initiated legal action, they would have exactly the same number of vaccines, but no legal bills.

I mean, I guess it's a victory of sorts. But it's a pretty Pyrrhic one.

So I’ve a question.
Court says 80 by October. But needs 20-20-10 or something like that.

Az says we’ve done 70 already , only need to do 10 by September.

Just confused as why the court would say the 20-20-10 when az has already done 70 so just need 10 to deliver

I’m reading Spanish news and most of them don’t speak about court costs

The incidence here is higher because we already have the delta. What will happen when that starts to spread more across the EU. The wish to keep the southern European tourist resorts functioning will spread all sorts of variants.

I speak French and don’t understand the guardian article at all, it’s different to the screenshots of the case that are circulating Twitter. The 70/30 thing for example has been reported the wrong way round. Bit worrying! I had to read it and reread it to check my French was still okay, but the guardian definitely got it the wrong way round as well as omitting so much information. I’m going to have to read the whole thing in French now.

Here in France people are refusing the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the side effects and deaths associated with it compared to the other vaccines so it's no great loss.