British drug maker expands vaccine production deal

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - British drug manufacturer AstraZeneca has expanded its agreement with an Oxford firm to increase its production of a potential coronavirus vaccine, local media reported on Tuesday.

The firm, Oxford Biomedica, will produce tens of millions of doses of the potential vaccine, known as AZD1222, as part of the £50 million ($66.9 million) deal.

It will do so for 18 months, with the possibility of extending it by another 18 months after that.

Production will take place in Oxford, and Astra Zeneca said its global production capacity is now close to 3 billion doses.

Meanwhile, new research by the London School of Economics and University College London showed that 25% of all COVID-19 deaths in England and Wales were reported for people with dementia, with the figure being 31% in Scotland.

Their report also showed that up to 75% of global fatalities in elderly care homes were registered for those who had dementia.