LONDON (Reuters) – AstraZeneca still plans to seek approval for its COVID-19 vaccine in the United States even though the process is taking longer than expected, because it may still be used there in future, chief executive Pascal Soriot said on Thursday.
“The simple answer is, it’s an important vaccine. And we believe it may play a role in the future, so we want to file and get approval for it,” he said on a briefing, when asked why the drug maker was pursing approval even though the nation has enough supply to inoculate its population without it.
He said the company does not need U.S. approval to boost the shot’s credibility around the world. Some 170 countries have given the go ahead for its use.
“We just want to make sure it’s ready to be used if needed,” he said.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout and Pushkala Aripaka; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by Alex Richardson)
