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AstraZeneca Pledges £300 Million UK Investment After Trade Deal
The company said the spending follows a trade agreement with the United States and comes after it paused and abandoned major UK projects.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that AstraZeneca will invest £300 million in UK life sciences, aiming to future-proof thousands of jobs in Macclesfield and Cambridge.
Last year, AstraZeneca paused a £200 million expansion in Cambridge and scrapped plans for a £450 million vaccine plant in Merseyside, citing an inability to make projects economically viable.
The investment follows a pharmaceutical arrangement struck with the United States, which AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot stated ensures "increased spending on new medicines" and drives access to therapies.
AstraZeneca reported a 12% rise in first-quarter revenues to $14.38 billion, with Soriot attributing the results to "consistent commercial execution" and keeping the company on track for 2030 targets.
Since the UK-US deal, 13 pharmaceutical companies have committed £1.575 billion in inward investment, with Richard Torbett, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry , calling April a "remarkable month" for the sector.