• The Financial Times reports that the deal made between AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford will permit it to take as much as 20 percent above cost for its experimental coronavirus, despite the company’s promise to sell the vaccine at cost during the pandemic (although the company has not disclosed what their production costs are). AstraZeneca claims it has incurred over $1 billion for non-manufacturing costs that include clinical development, regulatory submissions, distribution and pharmacovigilance, saying that it “… will add an amount equivalent to a maximum of 20 percent of the manufacturing costs to ensure there is no material impact on its finances this year while continuing efforts to provide the vaccine at no profit during the pandemic.” AstraZeneca has the contractual right to declare that the pandemic over as soon as July next year, which is likely to lead to vaccine price increases, although the company says it will seek expert guidance from global organizations about the timing. Source
• The US abandons its plan to promote coronavirus vaccinations with a public service advertising campaign that would have given the vaccine, if approved, to people working at shopping malls as Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, elves and reindeer. Source
