AstraZeneca Financially Commits $2.5B Toward New R&D Center
The Beijing location represents the sixth worldwide.
Combined with research and manufacturing agreements, AstraZeneca is investing $2.5 billion into its sixth global strategic research & development (R&D) center in Beijing.1 The five-year financial commitment is part of a deal with the Beijing Municipal Government and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area Administrative Office. It also features deal with three biotech companies: Harbour BioMed, BioKangtai, and Syneron Bio.
“This $2.5 billion investment reflects our belief in the world-class life sciences ecosystem in Beijing, the extensive opportunities that exist for collaboration and access to talent, and our continued commitment to China,” said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s CEO. “Our sixth strategic R&D center will partner with the cutting-edge biology and AI science in Beijing and be a critical part of our global efforts to bring innovative medicines to patients worldwide.”
AstraZeneca is signing two collaboration and licensing agreements: one with Harbour BioMed for the discovery multi-specific antibodies, and another with Syneron Bio to develop macro-cyclic peptides. AstraZeneca also struck a deal with the Beijing Cancer Hospital that’s related to translational research, data science, and clinical development.
In addition, AstraZeneca is launching a new joint venture with BioKangtai, to develop, manufacture, and commercialize vaccines for respiratory and other infectious diseases for patients in China and globally. AstraZeneca struck a strategic partnership with the Beijing Cancer Hospital related to translational research, data science, and clinical development.
The new global strategic R&D center in Beijing is the company’s second in China after its Shanghai location, and is expected to growth its early-stage research and clinical development. It’ll be powered by an artificial intelligence and data science laboratory, and will be located near other biotechs, research hospitals, and the National Medical Products Administration in the Beijing International Pharmaceutical Innovation Park.
In other AstraZeneca developments, new study results that were presented at the 2025 European Lung Cancer Congress showed the role of AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso (branded form of osimertinib), as a monotherapy and as a component of novel combinations, for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).2
“Having now treated more than one million patients around the world, Tagrisso has repeatedly transformed expectations for patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer by not only extending survival but also showing it is possible to maintain quality of life during cancer treatment,” said Susan Galbraith, executive vice president, oncology haematology R&D, AstraZeneca. “The breadth of data at ELCC reinforce Tagrisso as the backbone therapy for patients with this disease and show that adding Orpathys or Datroway at the time of disease progression can help prolong patients’ responses to treatment.”
References
1. AstraZeneca to invest $2.5 billion in new global strategic R&D centre, biotech agreements and manufacturing in Beijing. AstraZeneca. March 21, 2025. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/astrazeneca-invests-2-and-half-bn-in-beijing-r-and-d-and-manufacturing.html
2. New study results reinforce Tagrisso as the backbone therapy for EGFR-mutated lung cancer across stages and settings. AstraZeneca. March 25, 2025. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/new-study-results-reinforce-tagrisso-as-the-backbone-therapy-for-egfr-mutated-lung-cancer-across-stages-and-settings.html
