UK loses life sciences investment as pharma companies halt expansion plans

Several pharmaceutical companies have cancelled or paused major expansions of UK R&D facilities. The moves come alongside industry warnings that the UK is becoming ‘uninvestable’ for the life science sector, with particular concerns surrounding the amount that the country spends on new medicines.

Last week, US drugmaker Merck & Co scrapped a £1 billion upgrade to its UK operations. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is to ‘pause’ a £200 million expansion of its research site in Cambridge. Eli Lilly paused plans for a research incubator and Sanofi said it will not consider  ‘any substantial investment’ in UK R&D.