UK patients 'suffering' as big pharma firms scrap projects

Big pharmaceutical companies have ditched or paused £1.7bn in planned UK investments this year, causing “suffering” to patients as ministers gear up for discussions with Donald Trump over drug pricing.

- Julia Kollewe

The government's plan for the life science sector, a key pillar of the economy, was thrown into disarray by the US drugmaker MSD’s shock announcement last Wednesday that it would scrap its £1bn London research centre. Two days later, AstraZeneca halted a planned £200m expansion of its research facilities in Cambridge.

Combined with a scrapped project by AstraZeneca in Liverpool and a shelved Eli Lilly lab in London, four projects worth more than £1.7bn have been pulled or paused this year.

Decisions on 13 major projects or companies have damaged the UK’s pharma industry since 2022, including closures and stock market delistings. Pharma companies have accused the government of not spending enough on new medicines, arguing this gives little incentive to develop and test drugs.

More recriminations are expected today when MPs on the science, innovation and technology committee question MSD’s UK and Ireland head, Ben Lucas.