By Fineline Cube 
On September 12, 2025, AstraZeneca (AZ; NASDAQ: AZN) confirmed it has paused its GBP 200m (USD 271m) investment in its Cambridge, UK, research site. This decision follows the cancellation of a USD 610m vaccine R&D and manufacturing investment in Liverpool in January, cited due to reduced UK government funding.
Background on Investments
The Cambridge expansion, announced in March 2024, was part of a planned USD 882m investment in the UK. The USD 271m allocated for Cambridge was intended to fund a facility near AstraZeneca’s headquarters, expected to employ around 1,000 people.
Industry Trend
This week has seen significant withdrawals from UK biopharma investments. Prior to AstraZeneca’s announcement, Merck revealed plans to pull its R&D operations from the UK entirely, including scrapping a £1bn R&D center in London. Eli Lilly has also paused plans for a UK biotech lab.-Fineline Info & Tech