AstraZeneca Pauses £200m Cambridge Expansion as UK Pharma Faces Setbacks

AstraZeneca has halted a planned £200m expansion of its Cambridge research hub, part of a wider £650m UK package.
The project was expected to create 1,000 jobs, but follows January’s scrapped £450m investment in a Merseyside facility.
A spokesperson confirmed the pause, stressing the company constantly reassesses its investment needs.
The UK setback contrasts with AstraZeneca’s July pledge to invest $50bn in the US by 2030.
That programme funds new manufacturing in Virginia and expands laboratories in Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Indiana and Texas.
This week also brought fresh blows for UK pharma, with Merck cancelling a £1bn London centre and cutting 125 jobs.
Sir John Bell warned major companies were pulling future UK investments, citing talks with multiple chief executives.
Sanofi’s UK head demanded a Treasury plan, saying Britain had become uncompetitive for drug development and sales.
Eli Lilly also froze a £279m London incubator lab project, compounding industry concerns.
The sector has long urged higher NHS spending on medicines to match global levels.
Talks with health secretary Wes Streeting collapsed in August over the NHS clawback rate, now at nearly 23%.
Industry leaders want it cut to single digits, in line with other European markets.