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LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's Chief
Executive Pascal Soriot said on Thursday he is "confident" the
company will be able to increase production of its COVID-19
vaccine in the second quarter, as the company aims to boost
European Union supplies after big cuts in the first three months
of the year.
Soriot told European lawmakers the company aims to deliver
doses from its international network, including the United
States, so that it can meet volumes originally agreed for the
second quarter in its deal with the European Union signed last
year.
Lower-than-expected yields - the amount of vaccine that can
be produced from base ingredients - at its factories hurt output
in the first three months, he said.
His comments came as lawmakers grilled him about his
company's plans to boost output and for an explanation about the
shortfall in deliveries.
Executives from rival drugmakers that have developed or are
testing COVID-19 vaccines, including Moderna Inc and
Curevac NV were also part of the panel.
But most questions were directed at Soriot amid anger that
the company has failed to deliver promised vaccine quantities
to the bloc on schedule, disrupting vaccinations in the region
while continuing to supply Britain.
Soriot said the company is trying to get 40 million doses of
its COVID-19 vaccine to the EU by the end of March, which is
less than half the amount it promised in its contract for the
quarter.
The EU, which has fallen far behind the United States and
former member Britain in vaccinating its public, has repeatedly
urged the firm to deliver more.
"I am disappointed that lower-than-expected output in our
dedicated European supply chain has affected our ability to
deliver," Soriot said. "We are doing everything that we can to
deliver 40 million doses in the first quarter of 2021."
His pledge was in line with previous statements from the
Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, which has long said it will not be able
to fulfil the target of 90 million doses in the first quarter.
In his initial statement to the EU Parliament, Soriot made
no reference to deliveries in the second quarter of the year,
which should amount to 180 million doses under the contract.
(Reporting by Josephine Mason in London and Francesco Guarascio
in Brussels; Editing by Susan Fenton and Bill Berkrot)
