AstraZeneca adapting vaccine for new Covid-19 strains as profits double

The announcement came as the company reported pre-tax profits of $3.92bn (€3.23bn) for 2020

Drugs giant AstraZeneca confirmed it is focusing efforts on adapting its Covid-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University to new strains of the disease, as it revealed annual profits more than doubled (Yui Mok/PA)

Drugs giant AstraZeneca confirmed it is focusing efforts on adapting its Covid-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University to new strains of the disease, as it revealed that annual profits more than doubled.

The group is also working on cutting the time needed to reach production at scale of the vaccine to between six and nine months.