Prognosis
Astra Chief’s Response to EU’s Vaccine-Delay Claims: Main Points
- Drugmaker’s CEO responds to attacks by Brussels in interview
- Comments come ahead of crunch call on vaccine-delivery delays
Pascal Soriot
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
AstraZeneca Plc said it’s not backsliding on any vaccine-delivery commitments to the European Union, setting the stage for showdown with the bloc over a crunch call later on Wednesday.
In a newspaper interview, Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot delivered a public rebuttal to the EU’s allegations. The comments could change public perception about the bloc’s handling of vaccine contracts and inflict further damage on the image of European governments, already tainted by a failure to tame the coronavirus pandemic.