JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is not likely to reach deals with COVID vaccine makers to co-produce the vaccines although discussions are still ongoing, chief executive Kare Schultz told Reuters.
Schultz said Teva — the world’s largest generic drugmaker — offered to co-produce the vaccines in both Israel and Europe, where the company has capacity, to help with global supply.
“But we’ve not been able to reach a firm agreement with any company,” he said. “It’s not for our lack of wanting to do it but the key players that have actually been successful in developing the vaccines that have come to the market have found other partners or their own internal capacity.”
He did not name the companies.
“It’s probably pretty much done (but) we can’t rule it out,” Schultz said. “We’re still in discussion with some of the companies, and we’re still willing to do it if we can help.”
(Reporting by Steven Scheer. Editing by Jane Merriman)