A statement in the UK Parliament has confirmed a major new investment by AstraZeneca, with ministers highlighting its role in strengthening the country’s life sciences sector.
During exchanges recorded on 29 April, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told MPs that the company would proceed with a £300m funding commitment in the UK focused on research and advanced laboratory development.
Last September, AstraZeneca paused plans for a £200m expansion at its research site in Cambridge.
The vaccine expert also abandoned plans for a £450m vaccine plant in Merseyside in January, citing a lack of government support and the inability to make the business case work.
According to the announcement, AstraZeneca now has plans to unfreeze the paused £200m expansion in Cambridge and invest £100m into a Macclesfield site to expand its digital-enabled drug discovery capabilities.
The investment is expected to support around 1,000 jobs across key sites, including Cambridge and Macclesfield, while reinforcing the UK’s position in global pharmaceutical innovation.
AstraZeneca CEO, Pascal Soriot, and other executives have directly linked the £300m investment and decision to unfreeze UK projects to the recent US-UK pharmaceutical arrangement established this month.
“We want to recognise the importance of the US-UK deal on pharmaceuticals, and the leading role this plays in ensuring increased spending on new medicines and driving access to new therapies,” said Soriot in a first-quarter earnings call with journalists.
The arrangement raises NHS reimbursement rates for new medicines by 25% to align with US pricing and secured tariff-free access for British drug exports.
This agreement directly addresses prior industry concerns regarding UK drug pricing, which were previously described as inhibiting innovation.
The Prime Minister framed the development as evidence of renewed confidence in the UK’s regulatory and commercial environment for medicines, following recent policy alignment with US pricing mechanisms.
The update was delivered during routine Commons proceedings, where ministers outline government activity and respond to MPs’ questions on current engagements.
What other investments has AstraZeneca made?
Prior to freezing investments in the UK last September, the company announced in July that it would invest $50bn in the US by 2030.
Then in November, after it abandoned plans for UK expansion, the company teamed up with Eli Lilly and Merck to double down on an investment in Virginia to establish a $120m training hub.
AstraZeneca also announced plans to invest $15bn in China through 2030 to expand biopharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing.