AstraZeneca opens new $1.3 billion R&D plant

AstraZeneca (AZ) has officially opened The Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge, UK, a state-of-the-art research and development facility that will be employing over 2,200 research scientists.

The $1.3 billion plant will feature advanced robotics, high-throughput screening, AI-driven technology and over 204,500 square feet worth of laboratories. It is expected to support AZ’s focus on specialized and precision medicines, and will further the discovery and development of therapeutics, such as nucleotide-based, gene-editing and cell therapies.

According to the pharma company, the DISC will add to AZ’s R&D presence in more than 40 countries across the globe, including its other strategic research centers in Sweden and the US, along with development facilities in China and Japan.

“ … Our new Discovery Centre in Cambridge raises the bar for sustainable R&D and global collaboration across our industry,” says Pascal Soriot, AZ’s CEO. “It will allow us to break new boundaries in the understanding of disease biology, bring life-changing medicines to patients and power the next stage of our company’s growth.”