AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine: The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide after the company acknowledged for the first time in court documents that it can cause a rare and dangerous side effect.
AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine: The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide after the company acknowledged for the first time in court documents that it can cause a rare and dangerous side effect, according to a report in the British Newspaper ‘The Telegraph’, an ANI report read.
AstraZeneca has announced that the vaccine was being removed from markets for commercial reasons. It further said that the vaccine was no longer being made or supplied, having been superseded by updated vaccines that fight new variants.
The application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on May 7. The vaccine can be no longer used in the European Union following the company’s decision to withdraw its “marketing authorisation.”
Similar applications will be submitted in the UK and other nations in the coming months that have given a go-ahead to the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria.
In recent months, Vaxzevria has come under scrutiny over a very rare side effect, which causes blood clots and low blood platelet counts. In court documents, AstraZeneca in the High Court in February admitted that the vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”.
TTS which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK and hundreds of serious injuries. More than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives have filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca in a High Court case.
AstraZeneca has insisted that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is not related to the case or admission that it can cause TTS and termed the timing a pure coincidence, according to The Telegraph report.
“We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally. Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic,” The Telegraph quoted AstraZeneca as saying.
In a statement, the pharmaceutical giant said, “As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines”, adding that it has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied, The Telegraph reported.
It further announced its decision to initiate the withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe. The company said, “We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Last week, AstraZeneca reiterated its commitment to patient safety while emphasising the vaccine’s overall safety profile.
An AstraZeneca spokesperson had stated, “Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.”
This comes in the wake of a recent admission by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company, that its Covid vaccine Covishield and Vaxzevria “can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).”
Despite these rare occurrences, the pharmaceutical company maintained that extensive clinical trial data and real-world evidence consistently support the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. Regulatory agencies worldwide continue to assert that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of such extremely rare side effects.
News
Swiss laboratory uses old drugs against rare diseases
Researchers at the University of Geneva are combing through collections of approved drugs to find new therapies for rare diseases – with some success. This approach is gaining traction around the world, while pharmaceutical [...]
Nanozyme Aptasensors Show Promise for Faster Food, Health, and Environmental Testing
By pairing robust artificial enzymes with highly selective aptamers, nanozyme aptasensors could help detect disease biomarkers, pathogens, and contaminants faster, but the review shows that real-world deployment still depends on overcoming matrix interference, biofouling, [...]
Paralyzed Man Feels Sensation Again With Brain Stimulation Device
Aneuroprosthetic system has allowed a man with paralysis to grasp and lift objects and feel touch again. The device helped 42-year-old Keith Thomas of Massapequa, New York, who was paralyzed from the chest down [...]
Global Cancer Cases Could Surge 67% by 2050, New Report Warns
New data reveal major geographic disparities and highlight the urgent need for global action on prevention, early detection, and equitable access to treatment. For roughly one in five people worldwide, cancer will become part [...]
A Deadly Ebola-Like Virus Is Spreading. Are We Ready?
BU virologist Nancy Sullivan says the Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo underscores the need for broader outbreak preparedness. The death of a nurse marked the moment health officials recognized that [...]
Why Most Animal Viruses Never Become Human Pandemics
From receptor mismatch to risky human-animal interfaces, this article explains why spillover is common but true pandemic emergence remains rare. Introduction Humans are constantly exposed to animal viruses through farming, wildlife contact, and the [...]
Stem cell organoids repair heart microvessels in coronary artery disease models
A Stanford University team has shown that vascular organoids derived from human stem cells can repair the heart’s microvessel network in pigs with ischaemic heart disease – a proof-of-concept advancement that could open new therapeutic [...]
Goodbye GP waiting rooms, hello prevention at home
Prevention is suddenly everywhere in NHS reform. The recent £340m community pharmacy deal is moving more services onto the high street. Community Diagnostic Centres are being expanded, and the Neighbourhood Health Framework sets out [...]
Ebola control is weakened by mistrust and cultural insensitivity
Effective response depends on cooperation with communities and frontline workers, writes Zaeem ul Haq The current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is exposing dangerous gaps in [...]
Building the Brain Requires Millions of Dangerous DNA Breaks
Scientists discovered that building a healthy brain involves an unexpected step: young neurons routinely break and rapidly repair their own DNA. As the brain develops, newly formed nerve cells must travel through tightly packed tissue [...]
One Tiny Change May Explain How Viruses Jump From Bats to Humans
Scientists found that one tiny genetic change may determine whether a bat virus stays in bats or becomes a human threat. Most infectious disease outbreaks begin when a virus or other pathogen crosses from animals into [...]
Scientists Discover 250+ Genes That Could Lead to New Ways To Prevent Melanoma
The world’s largest study of mole genetics identified hundreds of genes tied to melanoma risk, uncovering potential new drug targets and paving the way for more accurate melanoma screening and prevention. Researchers at QIMR [...]
Breakthrough Diabetes Treatment Reprograms the Immune System
An engineered stem cell therapy reversed new-onset Type 1 diabetes in mice by shifting the immune system away from attacking insulin-producing cells. For more than a century, people with Type 1 diabetes have relied [...]
Taking the world’s temperature: WHO chief spotlights global health emergencies
Taking the world’s temperature on pressing health matters, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided the latest on current global challenges - and successes when it comes to international cooperation. “The outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola and Marburg all show [...]
Scientists Create Tiny “Mini Livers” That Could One Day Replace Liver Transplants
Engineered tissue grafts could help perform key liver functions and benefit thousands of people living with liver failure. The liver is one of the body’s hardest-working organs, carrying out hundreds of vital jobs, from [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
