"US drugmaker Merck has scrapped a 1bn London research centre and is laying off 125 scientists in the capital this year, in a big blow to the country's important life science sector. Keir Starmer's government has described life sciences as one of the crown jewels of the UK economy while the previous Conservative government had vowed to turn the country into a global science and technology superpower by 2030."
"The planned new lab building, called the UK Discovery Centre, at the Belgrove House site opposite St Pancras and King's Cross stations, was already under construction and scheduled to open in two years' time. As part of its U-turn, the drugmaker, known as MSD in Europe, will vacate laboratories at the nearby London Bioscience Innovation Centre, which hosts more than 60 life science companies, and the neighbouring Francis Crick Institute by the end of 2025, with the loss of about 125 scientific jobs."
"In a statement, MSD announced plans to discontinue discovery research operations in the UK and that it no longer plans to occupy the Belgrove House site at King's Cross. It added: This reflects the challenges of the UK not making meaningful progress towards addressing the lack of investment in the life science industry and the overall undervaluation of innovative medicines and vaccines by successive UK governments."
Merck has cancelled its planned 1bn UK Discovery Centre at Belgrove House and announced the discontinuation of discovery research operations in the UK, leading to about 125 scientific redundancies. The company will vacate laboratories at the London Bioscience Innovation Centre and the Francis Crick Institute by the end of 2025 and relocate research activities to other, unspecified sites. MSD cited the UK's lack of meaningful progress on life-science investment and the undervaluation of innovative medicines and vaccines as reasons for the withdrawal. Merck will retain its Moorgate headquarters and a large animal-health site in Milton Keynes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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