Tag: AstraZeneca

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AstraZeneca plans £650 mn investment in UK

The plans outlined today are the latest step in the wider plan to deliver the long-term change that Britain needs – to deliver a brighter future and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone…reports Asian Lite News

Pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca on Wednesday outlined plans to invest £650 million in the UK – helping boost the UK’s world leading Life Sciences sector and grow the economy. This significant investment will enhance public health protection and pandemic preparedness.  

AstraZeneca intends to invest £450 million at their manufacturing site in Speke, Liverpool for the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines – building on the site’s current role in supplying the world leading childhood vaccination programme. The new facility will be designed and built to be operationally net zero with power supplied from renewable energy sources.

In a further boost for the UK’s resilience for future pandemics and global health threats, AstraZeneca and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) plan to work in partnership to advance science for developing and evaluating vaccines – using technology from both AstraZeneca’s manufacturing site in Speke and the UKHSA’s Vaccine Development Evaluation Centre (VDEC) at their Porton Down site.

AstraZeneca will also expand its presence at Europe’s largest life sciences cluster in Cambridge with £200 million in investment. The facility will house around 1,000 employees and will be adjacent to its £1.1 billion global R&D Discovery Centre (DISC), which already hosts 2,300 researchers and scientists. These jobs will provide opportunities for people looking to get the skills they need to succeed in life and – with cuts to National Insurance – enjoy more money in their pocket as a result of their hard work.

To drive investment and growth, the UK Government has delivered one of the most competitive business tax regimes of any major economy – sticking to an economic plan to build a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded, and ambition and aspiration are celebrated. Full expensing is one of the biggest business tax cuts in modern British history, giving the UK the most generous regime for capital allowances in the G7 and joint most generous in the OECD.

The plans outlined today are the latest step in the wider plan to deliver the long-term change that Britain needs – to deliver a brighter future and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone. This demonstrates the vast Life Sciences expertise and capability in this country and will further strengthen AstraZeneca’s UK footprint. The company will also open a new manufacturing facility for one of its cancer medicines in Macclesfield later this year, following the announcement of a £380 million investment in 2021.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said, “To drive investment we’ve delivered one of the most competitive business tax regimes of any major economy, as part of our plan to help our key industries to grow. Our £108 billion Life Sciences sector provides over 300,000 high skilled jobs across the UK and is crucial for the country’s health, wealth and resilience. We are sticking to our plan to make the UK one of the best places in world to invest in developing and manufacturing new, innovative medicines – both protecting public health and growing our economy. AstraZeneca’s investment plans are a vote of confidence in the attractiveness of UK as a Life Sciences superpower and strengthen our resilience for future health emergencies.”

AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer, Sir Pascal Soriot, said, “AstraZeneca’s planned investment would enhance the UK’s pandemic preparedness and demonstrates our ongoing confidence in UK life sciences.  We will continue to support the UK in driving innovation and patient access, building on the strong foundations which have been put in place. This year marks 25 years since the merger of UK-based Zeneca Group and Swedish Astra AB. We are proud of our British roots and how far we have come over that time – we are now a truly global company that has transformed the lives of millions of patients throughout the world with a relentless focus on science and innovation.”

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Dubai Health UAE News

AstraZeneca’s Carbon Reduction Journey Hits Dubai

The offices are part of a raft of measures by AstraZeneca to accelerate the transition to sustainable healthcare in the UAE, aligned with the company’s global Ambition Zero Carbon programme….reports Asian Lite News

AstraZeneca inaugurated its new sustainable offices in Dubai Science Park, a member of the TECOM group PJSC. The offices mark a critical milestone along the company’s carbon footprint reduction journey in the United Arab Emirates.

The offices are part of a raft of measures by AstraZeneca to accelerate the transition to sustainable healthcare in the UAE, aligned with the company’s global Ambition Zero Carbon programme. Key plans include transitioning to electric vehicles (EV100) by 2025 and launching its first next generation inhaler with a near-zero global warming potential propellant in the UAE market.

The inauguration brought together H.E. Dr Amin Al Amiri Assistant, Undersecretary of Health Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, H.E. Dr Ahmed Alkhazraji, Executive Director of Strategy and Policy at the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and Dr. Ramadan Al Blooshi, Director of  Public Health & Protection Department at Dubai Health authority alongside Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, , Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of TECOM Group, Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Science Park, and other senior health leaders in the UAE to highlight the need to accelerate the transition to net zero sustainable healthcare.

Spanning an area of 20,000 square feet, the new premises aim to achieve platinum standards in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a globally recognised symbol of sustainability achievement, as defined by the US Green Building Council.

Sameh El Fangary, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Cluster President of AstraZeneca, said: “Climate change is the biggest threat to human health, which is why as a healthcare company, we have a duty to act. AstraZeneca shares the UAE’s vision of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Our sustainable offices will contribute to AstraZeneca’s drive to cut emissions and be science-based net zero by 2045 at the latest.

“What is particularly special about this event is witnessing the UAE’s healthcare ecosystem come together and recognise the interconnectedness between health equity, health resilience and climate action. It is clear that this is a mission that is to be led by all, for all.”

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Science Park, part of TECOM Group said: “As stewards of health and progress, science companies have a profound impact on society and the environment. Embracing sustainable practices ensures that our actions today do not compromise the well-being of future generations.

“Nurturing eco-friendly innovation can create a harmonious balance between scientific advancements and environmental preservation, and by prioritising sustainability, AstraZeneca has set a sterling example for the science sector. Its efforts align with Dubai Science Park’s goals to contribute to the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and Dubai R&D Strategy and reinforce our ambition to enable sustainable scientific advancement.

The LEED platinum certification awards points based on the application of sustainability principles during the design, construction, and material selection of the new facility. It offers the opportunity for AstraZeneca’s offices at Dubai Science Park to serve as a benchmark for efficiency and sustainability in the science sector.

Dubai Science Park is part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of business districts that include Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Design District (d3) and Dubai Industrial City.

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-Top News UK News

Russia rebuffs claim of stealing AZ jab formula from UK


Russia’s Sputnik jab uses similar technology to the AstraZeneca-Oxford designed vaccine….reports Asian Lite News

Russia has rebuffed accusations that its spies stole the “blueprint” for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and used it to create its own Sputnik V jab.

It’s “scientific nonsense”, the head of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying.

This week, British security services alleged that Russian spies stole and hacked UK’s Covid vaccine data, according to a report in The Sun. Several other reports alleged that UK security services told British ministers they had solid proof against Russia.

However, RDIF called it “fake” and a “blatant lie”, the report said.

“There is no merit [to these claims] and we’re very clear about this,” Kirill Dmitriev was quoted as saying to CNBC on Wednesday.

“This report is complete scientific nonsense, it has zero merit and frankly it’s a lie,” he added.

Russia’s Sputnik jab uses similar technology to the AstraZeneca-Oxford designed vaccine.

The security teams are sure it was copied and it is understood the data was stolen by a foreign agent in person, the newspaper claimed.

Last year, spies blamed Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying they were “more than 95 per cent” sure that Russian state-sponsored hackers had targeted British, American and Canadian bodies developing a Covid vaccine, it added.

Dmitriev called the report “nonsense from anonymous sources” and said the accusations were part of a “smear campaign against Sputnik V because some politicians don’t like Russia and because some big pharma companies, who are afraid of the success of Sputnik V, continue to attack Sputnik V and Sputnik Light (its one-dose booster shot) from day one, so we’re used to these attacks”, he told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe.”

He added that the country wants to partner other vaccine producers and is ready for a joint clinical trial taking place with AstraZeneca (to determine if mixed Covid vaccine doses work, the report said.

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‘Pfizer, AZ vax antibodies may drop 50% in 3 months’

The researchers highlighted that although the clinical implications of waning antibody levels are not yet clear, some decline was expected and current research shows that vaccines remain effective against severe disease…reports Asian Lite News.

Total antibody levels produced by both Pfizer and AstraZeneca appear to start declining from as early as six weeks after two vaccine doses and can reduce by more than 50 per cent over 10 weeks, according to a new study stressing the need for booster doses.

The study, led by researchers of the University College London, showed that the waning effect of the vaccine doses were consistent across all groups of people regardless of age, chronic illnesses or sex.

Published as a research letter in The Lancet, the study included data from over 600 people and showed antibody levels are substantially higher following two doses of the Pfizer vaccine than after two doses of the AstraZeneca jab.

AstraZeneca vaccine

They are also much higher in those with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The researchers highlighted that although the clinical implications of waning antibody levels are not yet clear, some decline was expected and current research shows that vaccines remain effective against severe disease.

For Pfizer, antibody levels reduced from a median of 7506 U/mL at 21-41 days, to 3320 U/mL at 70 or more days. For AstraZeneca, antibody levels reduced from a median of 1201 U/mL at 0-20 days to 190 U/mL (67-644) at 70 or more days.

“The levels of antibody following both doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine were initially very high, which is likely to be an important part of why they are so protective against severe Covid-19,” said Maddie Shrotri from the UCL Institute of Health Informatics.

“However, we found these levels dropped substantially over the course of two to three months. If they carry on dropping at this rate, we are concerned that the protective effects of the vaccines may also begin to wear off, particularly against new variants; but we cannot yet predict how soon that might happen,” she added.

The findings support recommendations from the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) that adults who are clinically vulnerable, those aged 70 years or over, and all residents of care homes for older adults should be prioritised for booster doses.

“In addition, those who were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, including most care home residents, are likely to have much lower antibody levels than those vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, so this may also need to be considered when deciding who should be prioritised when boosters are rolled out,” said Professor Rob Aldridge from the UCL Institute of Health Informatics.

However, the study included only a small sample size and different people will have different levels of immunity depending on the virus neutralizing ability of their antibodies as well as their T-cell responses.

Thus, additional research is important to establish if there is an antibody level threshold needed for protection against severe disease, the researchers noted.

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-Top News COVID-19

AZ tests booster jab to counter Beta variant


The study aims to enroll 2,250 participants from the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Poland to build immunity against the Beta Covid variant…reports Asian Lite News.

British-Swedish biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has in partnership with the University of Oxford rolled out human trials for booster shots against Beta Covid variant.

The booster shot, named AZD2816, will be administered to individuals who have previously been fully vaccinated with two doses of AstraZeneca vaccine/Vaxzervia or an mRNA vaccine, at least three months after their last injection.

In non-vaccinated individuals, AZD2816 will be given as two doses, four or twelve weeks apart, or given as a second dose following a first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine/Vaxzervia –four weeks apart, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

AZD2816 has been designed using the same adenoviral vector platform as AstraZeneca vaccine/ Vaxzervia, with minor genetic alterations to the spike protein based on the Beta (B1351) variant, first identified in South Africa.

The study aims to enroll 2,250 participants from the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Poland to build immunity against the Beta Covid variant.

“Testing booster doses of existing vaccines and new variant vaccines is important to ensure we are best prepared to stay ahead of the pandemic coronavirus, should their use be needed,” said Professor Sir Andrew J. Pollard, chief investigator and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, in the statement.

Initial data from the trial is expected later this year and, once available, will be submitted to regulators for assessment as a next-generation booster vaccine and through an expedited regulatory pathway, the company said.

“The Beta variant vaccine contains 10 changes across the spike protein, many of which are also seen in other variants of concern, and which lead to effects such as, reduced ability of antibodies induced against the original virus to block cell entry (K417N, E484K, N501Y), increased infectivity compared to the original virus (D614G); reduced sensitivity of neutralising antibodies to the original virus (L452R),” the company said.

Besides these minor modifications, the two AZD2816 and AstraZeneca vaccine/ Vaxzervia vaccines are the same, it noted.

In May, the UK launched a clinical trial that aimed to assess the efficacy of a third ‘booster’ dose of seven different Covid-19 vaccines — Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Janssen and Curevac — on patients immune responses.

It costs 19.3 million pound and is being funded by the UK government and led by the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that there is currently no data to support that a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot is needed for the general population. But, an extra dose may be needed for more-vulnerable groups, such as older adults or organ transplant patients.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are investigating a third dose of Covid vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson is studying the need for a second dose to raise protection against the virus, the report said.

The US NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, or NIAID, is also conducting a clinical trial to understand whether a third shot of a Moderna vaccine could be given after a person initially received two shots of Pfizer, or one shot of Johnson & Johnson, the report added

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‘Pfizer, AZ jabs highly effective against Delta variant’

These are comparable with vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation from the Alpha (B117) variant: 96 per cent after two doses with Pfizer vaccine and 92 per cent after two doses from AstraZeneca vaccines…reports Asian Lite News.

Two doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B16172) variant, according to new analysis from Public Health England (PHE).

The analysis suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96 per cent effective against hospitalisation after two doses, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalisation after two doses.

These are comparable with vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation from the Alpha (B117) variant: 96 per cent after two doses with Pfizer vaccine and 92 per cent after two doses from AstraZeneca vaccines.

The new analysis included 14,019 cases of the Delta variant, 166 of whom were hospitalised between 12 April and 4 June, looking at emergency hospital admissions in England. The results have been posted as a preprint. Preprints are yet to be peer-reviewed.

“This evidence of the effectiveness of two doses against variants shows just how crucial it is to get your second jab. If you have had your first dose but haven’t booked your second yet — please do so. It will help save lives and boost us on the road to recovery,” said Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, in a statement.

“These hugely important findings confirm that the vaccines offer significant protection against hospitalisation from the Delta variant. The vaccines are the most important tool we have against Covid-19. Thousands of lives have already been saved because of them. It is absolutely vital to get both doses as soon as they are offered to you, to gain maximum protection against all existing and emerging variants,” added Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE.

A study by PHE in May showed that three weeks after the first dose of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine provided only 33 per cent protection against the Delta variant, while it offered 50 per cent effectiveness against the Alpha variant.

The B16172 variant was first discovered in India and is one of three related strains. It was declared as a variant of global concern last month by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is 60 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha strain identified in the UK.

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‘AstraZeneca jab authorised for all age-groups’

The EU has also authorised Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s mRNA based Covid-19 vaccines…reports Asian Lite News.

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine remains authorised for all populations, European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said.

The clarification camme after Italian newspaper La Stampa earlier quoted Marco Cavaleri, head of the EMA’s vaccine strategy, recommending a stop to administration of AstraZeneca’s Covid shots in Europe to people aged over 60 and younger age groups, amid fears over very rare blood clotting.

“Misinformation is making the rounds today. This is the situation: Benefit/risk balance of AstraZeneca #Covid19 vaccine is positive and it remains authorised for all populations,” the EMA said in a tweet on Sunday.

Cavaleri was also quoted by the newspaper advising the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine preferentially for the over-60s.

The European Union has approved AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for all populations aged 18 and above. However, both viral vector-based jabs have been marred by various reports of rare blood clots.

The EU has also authorised Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s RNA based Covid-19 vaccines.
Asked by the newspaper whether it would be better to stop using AstraZeneca for all age groups, Cavaleri had said: “Yes, and it is an option that many countries, such as France and Germany, are considering in the light of the increased availability of mRNA vaccines.”

“However, incidents were very rare after the first dose. It is true that there is less data on the second dose, but in the United Kingdom it (the vaccination programme) is going well,” he added.

On June 11, Italy restricted the use of AstraZeneca doses to those aged 60 years and above, after a teenager who had received the shot died from a rare form of blood clotting.

In March, the two-dose vaccine was briefly halted by many European countries, including Italy, over concerns about the rare blood clotting problems.

But, its usage was resumed in April, after the EMA said its benefits outweighed any risks.

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EU sues AstraZeneca for contract breach

AstraZeneca vaccine

The EU seeks big fines issued to AstraZeneca over an alleged breach of a contract concluded last summer…reports Asian Lite News

An ongoing spat between the European Union (EU) and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca over the latter’s alleged contract breach over the distribution of Covid vaccines is being decided at a Brussels court.

The EU seeks big fines issued to AstraZeneca over an alleged breach of a contract concluded last summer, in which supplies of Covid-19 vaccines that were promised to all 27 member states failed to deliver, reports Xinhua news agency.

During an emergency hearing on Wednesday, the EU accused AstraZeneca of postponing deliveries so the company could service the UK and other countries.

If the company is found guilty, it will be forced to take certain measures to make up for delays in manufacturing and supplying vaccine doses to the bloc.

EU President Ursula von der Leyen
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Specifically, the EU has claimed that the terms agreed in the contract have not been respected, and AstraZeneca failed to implement a viable strategy to ensure supplies of the vaccine were delivered on time in full.

According to the EU, AstraZeneca delivered only 30 million doses to the bloc in the first quarter of 2021, despite promising 300 million doses throughout this year

EU’s lawyer Rafael Jafferali told the Brussels court that AstraZeneca expects to deliver the total number of contracted doses by the end of December, but added that “with a six-month delay, it’s obviously a failure”.

The debates will continue on June 4 at 2 p.m.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this week that half of EU adults would have received their first dose of the vaccine this week, as 300 million doses are delivered, and 245 million doses administered.

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-Top News Asia News COVID-19

Japan approves Moderna, AstraZeneca jabs

AstraZeneca vaccine

Japan is already using the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer…reports Asian Lite News

A Japanese government panel of experts approved two Covid-19 vaccines developed by US drug maker Moderna Inc. and the UK-based AstraZeneca Plc, with the Health Ministry expected to formaliae the approval of the use of the two jabs on Friday.

The expected approval, based on the expert panel’s assessment of Japan’s own clinical trials of the vaccines as well as those from overseas and the efficacy of the vaccines against Covid-19, will bring the number of jabs available in the country to three, reports Xinhua news agency.

Japan is already using the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.

The country’s vaccine rollout has come under fire for lagging well behind the pace in other advanced countries, with Japan’s inoculation campaign the slowest among OECD nations and allowing its current fourth wave of infections to spread largely unabated, informed sources have said.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to ramp up inoculations to 1 million shots a day and finish vaccinating the elderly by the end of July.

Japan began inoculating its elderly population of about 36 million in mid-April, but multiple municipalities have said they expect to miss the government’s end-of-July deadline, due to a lack of healthcare workers available to administer the shots.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato has said a team to be launched within his Cabinet Secretariat will come up with ways to provide certification and permit people who have been vaccinated to travel overseas.

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Asia News Bangladesh

B’desh govt nod for emergency use of Russian vaccine

The decision came days after Dhaka suspended the first dosing of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on a supply crunch…reports Asian Lite News.

The Bangladeshi government has approved the import and use of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19.

Major General Mahbubur Rahman, Director General of the country’s Drug Administration, made the announcement on Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency reported.

AstraZeneca vaccine

The decision came days after Dhaka suspended the first dosing of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on a supply crunch.

“We’ve given permission for the emergency use of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine,” Rahman told journalists.

Amid uncertainty over timely arrival of the next Covid-19 vaccine shipment from India, the Bangladeshi government halted administering first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine across the country from Monday.

Nearly 6 million people have so far received the first dose of the vaccine in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 28 virtually inaugurated the country’s Covid-19 vaccination drive.



The Bangladeshi government on Monday announced that it decided to extend the ongoing lockdown which began on April 14 for another week.

Bangladesh recorded 112 deaths from Covid-19 on April 19, its highest daily toll from the pandemic, the government said.

On Tuesday, the country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 3,031 new cases of Covid-19 and 78 new deaths, bringing the number of total cases to 751,659 and the total death toll to 11,228.

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