AstraZeneca announced the global withdrawal of its Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, marketed as Vaxzevria, due to the emergence of a rare and dangerous side effect.
The company’s decision was first disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, following their voluntary withdrawal of marketing authorization in the European Union.
This action comes months after AstraZeneca acknowledged in court documents, for the first time, the potential for the vaccine to cause serious adverse effects, a fact reported by The Telegraph.
The pharmaceutical giant submitted the application for withdrawal on March 5, with the decision taking effect immediately.
The withdrawal marks a significant shift for a vaccine once celebrated as a “triumph for British science” by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and credited with saving over six million lives worldwide.
Despite its previous success, AstraZeneca cited “commercial reasons” for the discontinuation, noting that the vaccine has been superseded by newer versions tailored to combat evolving COVID-19 variants.
Further withdrawal applications are expected to be filed in the UK and other countries where Vaxzevria had been authorized.
The global health community is now faced with reassessing vaccination strategies as AstraZeneca pivots away from producing and supplying the original formulation of its COVID-19 vaccine.
The statement read, “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.
“As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.
“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.”
In recent months, the Vaxzevria vaccine faced significant scrutiny due to an extremely rare side effect involving blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
AstraZeneca acknowledged in court documents filed with the High Court in February that the vaccine can in very uncommon instances, lead to Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.
TTS – which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome has been associated with at least 81 fatalities in the UK, along with numerous severe injuries.
AstraZeneca is currently facing a lawsuit from over 50 individuals who claim to have suffered due to TTS, as well as from grieving family members in a High Court case.
However, AstraZeneca maintained that their decision to withdraw the vaccine is unrelated to the ongoing court proceedings or their acknowledgement of the vaccine’s potential association with TTS.
They said the timing of this withdrawal is purely coincidental.
