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US President Donald Trump has set his eyes on the coronavirus vaccine candidate of the UK.
According to a report in the Mirror , Trump plans to secure a deal with developer AstraZeneca for the Covid-19 drug before the UK does. The news comes two weeks before the US general election.
Developer AstraZeneca, which has collaborated with Oxford University experts, has revealed that supplies will be delivered according to a first-come-first-served basis.
Trump has promised Americans that he will deliver 300 million doses by early next year under his $10-billion Operation Warp Speed plan. The US has invested $1 bn in AstraZeneca to develop the drug, while the UK has put in £84 million for research in the UK, and £388 mn for research in other parts of the world.
Also read: Leaked document suggests UK will likely roll out Covid-19 vaccines as early as next month: Report
Boris Johnson has already secured 100 million doses. However, it will lag behind in the race if US regulators give the go-ahead first.
AstraZeneca’s spokesman confirmed as cited in the Mirror report: “If the US regulator clears it first, they will get it first.”
This news counters hopes that the Oxford vaccine would be available in the UK as soon as it passes all the trials successfully.
Also read: Trump official says vaccine expected starting in January
However, contrary to the new approach, AstraZeneca had earlier pledged that it would not try to profit off its shot until after the pandemic ends, as per previous reports.
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