While the market for COVID-19 vaccines has been shrinking lately, an investigation into text messages between Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, Ph.D., and the European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen remains ongoing.
Recently, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken over the probe from Belgian authorities, Politico reports, citing documents and a spokesperson from the prosecutor's office in Liège, Belgium.
EPPO officials are investigating von der Leyen over possible "interference in public functions, destruction of SMS, corruption and conflict of interest," according to a document cited by Politico.
Importantly, no one has been charged as part of the probe.
Pfizer and the EPPO declined to comment on the matter, while the EC did not immediately respond to Fierce Pharma’s request for comment.
Belgian authorities originally launched the investigation last year after a local lobbyist filed a complaint in Liège.
That legal action came amid a flurry of questions surrounding the large COVID-19 vaccine procurement deal that Europe had negotiated. As part of the controversy, The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the European Commission last year, arguing officials had a responsibility to turn over text messages that were a crucial part of the negotiations.
The deal at the center of the controversy was massive, covering up to 1.8 billion doses. Pfizer's Bourla has twice declined to testify on the matter before the European Parliament.
In 2022, the EPPO revealed that it was conducting an investigation into Europe's COVID-19 vaccine acquisitions. At the time, the probe wasn't publicly tied to any specific vaccine manufacturer.
Pfizer recently reported $12.5 billion in combined 2023 sales of Comirnaty and its COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid, a sharp decline from 2022.