AstraZeneca, German firm to try speeding vaccine delivery

LONDON (AP) — Drugmaker AstraZeneca says it will work with German firm IDT Biologika to increase shipments of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union this spring following a heated dispute with the bloc over delayed vaccine deliveries. The Anglo-Swedish company said Wednesday that the two companies were “exploring options” to accelerate production of the vaccine in the second quarter of this year.  AstraZeneca is already involved in the production of vaccines with IDT. In the longer term, AstraZeneca also plans a joint investment to expand IDT Biologika’s plant in Dessau, Germany, by building up to five 2,000-liter bioreactors capable of making tens of millions of doses of vaccine each month, the companies said.