Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca replicated its promise not to profit from a COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic as it reported it was on course with late-stage trials for the treatment. Such guarantees were boosted by strong sales across its range of remedies during lockdown.

Earnings jumped by 14 percent to USD 12.6 billion in the first six months of 2020 and were aided by strong trading in new medications, in addition to respiratory and cancer medicine.

Despite the fantastic earnings, CEO Pascal Soriot said he remained cautious amid the instability of the pandemic.

"If we've learned one thing with this virus, then it is that it's unpredictable," he explained. "And so we need to remain cautious."

He said that the company was on track to make 2 billion doses of this vaccine in a few dollars each dose. It also concluded three more deals for distribution - should the vaccine operate.

"We felt, there (is) a time in life when firms will need to step up and make a donation," he stated, adding that a vaccine needed to be accessible to as many people as possible.

"This is the kind of time in history when humanity, humankind is really jeopardized as a whole," he explained.

The cost of creating the vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University, is expected to be offset by funding from the authorities.

AstraZeneca has struck a variety of deals around the world to supply the experimental COVID-19 vaccine, which has shown promise in early testing.

The deals cover 700 million doses.

It has also reached a licensing agreement with Serum Institute of India to provide low-and-middle-income nations and arrangements with R-Pharm in Russia and SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd in the Republic of Korea"to manufacture and export for other global markets."