The European Commission published its vaccine contract with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Following the renewed request from the European Commission on 27 January 2021, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to publish the redacted contract signed between the two parties on 27 August 2020.
The Commission welcomes the company’s commitment towards more transparency in its participation in the rollout of the EU Vaccines Strategy. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot had revealed a number of confidential details in the text.
Transparency and accountability are important to help build the trust of European citizens and to make sure that they can rely on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines purchased at the EU level. The Commission hopes to be able to publish all contracts under the Advance Purchase Agreements in the near future.
EU: AstraZeneca logic can only work at the neighbourhood butchers
The contract published today contains redacted parts pertaining to confidential information such as details of invoices. The AstraZeneca contract is the second one to be published, after CureVac has agreed to publish the Advance Purchase Agreement with the European Commission.
For the Commission the protection of public health and securing the best possible agreements with companies so that vaccines are affordable, safe and efficacious is crucial. The contract the European Commission negotiated together with the EU Member States was approved on 14 August and entered into force on 27 August. It is financed by the Emergency Support Instrument.
Through the contract, all Member States are able to purchase 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with an option for a further 100 million doses, to be distributed on a population-based pro-rata basis. The contract also allows the Member States to donate their vaccine doses to lower and middle income countries or to re-direct them to other European countries.
EMA recommends COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca for authorisation in the EU
EMA has recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people from 18 years of age. This is the third COVID-19 vaccine that EMA has recommended for authorisation.
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has thoroughly assessed the data on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine and recommended by consensus a formal conditional marketing authorisation be granted by the European Commission. This will assure EU citizens that the vaccine meets EU standards and puts in place the safeguards, controls and obligations to underpin EU-wide vaccination campaigns.
