AstraZeneca Pauses £200m Cambridge Expansion Amid UK Pharma Setbacks

AstraZeneca has paused a £200m expansion of its Cambridge research site, halting its entire £650m UK investment plan.
The Cambridge project had been expected to create 1,000 jobs, following the scrapped £450m vaccine facility in Merseyside.
A company spokesperson said the pause reflects a reassessment of investment needs, with no further comment.
In contrast, AstraZeneca plans $50bn US investment by 2030, funding facilities in Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and Texas.
The pause follows a week of negative news for UK pharma, including Merck scrapping a £1bn London research centre.
Sir John Bell warned other major pharmaceutical companies may also stop investing in the UK amid uncertainty.
Sanofi called for a clear life sciences plan from the Treasury before resuming significant UK investment.
Eli Lilly also put its £279m London lab project on hold, highlighting industry concerns.
The sector urges NHS pricing reforms, including reducing the clawback rate from nearly 23% to levels seen in Europe.