AstraZeneca to Enlist Germany’s IDT Biologika to Supply COVID-19 Vaccine

AstraZeneca said it is “exploring options” with German manufacturer IDT Biologika to boost the supply of its vaccine in Europe during the second quarter of the year.

In addition, the companies plan to jointly invest in expanding drug substance capacity at IDT’s facility in Dessau, Germany. The upgraded plant will produce tens of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine each month and should be up and running by the end of 2022, they said.

AstraZeneca is in an ongoing dispute with the European Commission over delays in delivery of its vaccine to EU member states (DID, Jan. 28). On Wednesday, the company said that 17 million doses will be delivered over the next few weeks, with additional millions set to be delivered in March. However, the numbers fall short of its supply contract, which calls for 80 million doses to be delivered to the EU during the first quarter (DID, Feb. 2).

In related news this week, Thermo Fisher claimed that its Belgian plant — which AstraZeneca has blamed for its production delays — has fully complied with its manufacturing obligations under its contract with the UK-based company and that any changes to delivery timelines rested with AstraZeneca alone. ― Jason Scott