AstraZeneca pulls COVID-19 vaccine from global market over low demand

Major British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca pulled its COVID-19 vaccine from global markets on Wednesday, citing low international demands for the product.

The United Kingdom, third world countries, and several European nations largely relied on the vaccine during the early days of the pandemic, as it was one of the earliest vaccines. But trials of the drug did not test as well as other vaccines like ones from Pfizer and Moderna. The AstraZeneca drug was never approved in the United States.

A spokesperson for the company claimed that the drug helped save more than six million people, and more than three billion doses have been distributed, but the crowded vaccine marketplace has contributed to a decline in demand for AstraZeneca's drug.

“We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic,” the spokesperson said in a statement, according to the Hill. “As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzervria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied.”

The company also asked the European Medicines Agency to withdraw its licensing for the vaccine, which has since gone into affect, according to the company's website.

The drug withdrawal comes as the company faces allegations that the drug contributed to the deaths of more than 50 British citizens, because of its rare side effect that causes potentially fatal blood clots. The company has admitted that the blood clots can be a side effect, but claimed it was extremely rare.

AstraZeneca never released boosters of its drug, or updated the drug to fight off other variants of the coronavirus, because the technology it used to create the vaccine made doing so difficult.

In April, AstraZeneca admitted in court documents for the first time that its vaccine could cause rare side effects.