The European Union is launching legal action against AstraZeneca for breach of contract, alleging the the pharmaceutical company failed to deliver an adequate number of COVID-19 vaccine doses to the bloc.
AstraZeneca says the move is “without merit,” and that it would “strongly defend itself in court,” after a protracted dispute over supply issues that has seen the company consistently downgrade its delivery targets.
The European Union signed a deal with AstraZeneca in August last year for 300 million doses of their COVID vaccine with the option to receive 100 million more, which it has already foregone.