AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine could be on the market by end of 2020 - Italy minister

ROME, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The first shots of British drug
maker AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine could be
on the market by the end of 2020, Italian Health Minister
Roberto Speranza said on Wednesday.

"We are talking about a potential vaccine so we need to be
extremely prudent, but... if the vaccine is confirmed as safe
and able to meet its objective it will be already available by
the end of 2020," Speranza told parliament.

Drugmakers are racing to combat the pandemic, which has
killed more than 850,000 people and infected over 25 million.

The European Commission has paid 336 million euros ($397.82
million) to AstraZeneca to secure at least 300 million doses of
its potential vaccine for EU nations.
($1 = 0.8446 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)