AstraZeneca drops plans to submit COVID-19 vaccine to U.S. FDA, WSJ reports

AstraZeneca said it has dropped plans to submit its COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, because it believes there would be a lack of demand in the U.S., Denise Roland of The Wall Street Journal reports. Instead, AstraZeneca will continue its efforts on ensuring the availability of its vaccine elsewhere, including seeking regulatory approval as a booster shot, the company said. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the FDA’s application had become large and complicated and believed the company’s efforts were better placed elsewhere. "There are many other things we can do that will have a bigger impact on helping patients," Soriot said on a call with reporters, according to the Journal. Reference Link