AstraZeneca has paused a planned £200 million expansion of its Cambridge research site, meaning none of its previously announced £650 million UK investment package is currently proceeding. The decision marks a further blow to the UK pharmaceutical industry, following the scrapping of a £450 million vaccine facility in Speke, Merseyside, in January.
The stalled Cambridge project had been expected to create 1,000 jobs. An AstraZeneca spokesperson said: 'We constantly reassess the investment needs of our company and can confirm our expansion in Cambridge is paused. We have no further comment to make.'
The pause contrasts with the company's plans elsewhere. In July, AstraZeneca announced it would invest $50 billion (£37 billion) in the US by 2030, including a new drug manufacturing facility in Virginia and expansions in several other states. This comes amid threats from Donald Trump to impose sector-specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
The news caps a difficult week for UK life sciences. On Wednesday, US drugmaker Merck (MSD) scrapped a £1 billion London research centre and laid off 125 scientists. On Thursday, Professor Sir John Bell warned that other big pharmaceutical companies would stop investing in the UK. On Friday, Sanofi's UK head said the country had become 'not a good place' to develop or sell drugs, while Eli Lilly put its planned London lab on hold.
The pharmaceutical industry has long argued that the NHS's spending on medicines is too low. A row between the sector and Health Secretary Wes Streeting intensified after pricing negotiations broke down in August. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry wants the clawback rate, at which drugmakers repay a portion of UK revenues to the NHS, reduced from nearly 23% to single digits.
