London:
AstraZeneca mentioned on Friday the European Union had lost a legal case against the pharmaceutical firm more than the provide of COVID-19 vaccines, with a court in Brussels rejecting an EU request for more deliveries by the finish of June.
But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned Friday’s ruling supported the EU’s view that AstraZeneca — against which the bloc has not too long ago launched a second lawsuit — had failed to meet its commitments.
The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant committed in a contract to do its ideal to provide 300 million doses to the 27-nation bloc by the finish of June, but production issues led the firm to revise down its target to one hundred million vaccines.
The provide cuts delayed the EU’s vaccination drive in the very first quarter of the year, when the bloc had initially bet on AstraZeneca to provide the biggest volume of its shots. That led to a bitter dispute and to the EU’s legal action to get at least 120 million doses by the finish of June.
But AstraZeneca mentioned a judge had ruled that it need to provide only 80.2 million doses by a deadline of September 27. The firm mentioned it would “substantially exceed” that quantity by the finish of June.
The court mentioned in a statement that AstraZeneca ought to provide 15 million doses by July 26, one more 20 million by Aug. 23 and one more 15 million by Sept. 27, for a total of 50 million doses.
Should the firm miss these deadlines it would face a penalty of “10 euros ($11.8) per dose not delivered”, the EU Commission mentioned.
AstraZeneca mentioned other measures sought by the Commission had been dismissed, and the court had identified that the EU had no exclusivity or correct of priority more than other parties the drugmaker had contracts with.
“The judgment also acknowledged that the difficulties experienced by AstraZeneca in this unprecedented situation had a substantial impact on the delay,” AstraZeneca mentioned in a statement.
“AstraZeneca now looks forward to renewed collaboration with the European Commission to help combat the pandemic in Europe.”
The European Union last month launched a second lawsuit against the drugmaker in search of monetary penalties for the delays to vaccine provide.
“This decision confirms the position of the Commission: AstraZeneca did not live up to the commitments it made in the contract,” Commission President von der Leyen mentioned on Friday.
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