Pfizer research Sandwich, Kent

ABPI backs UK science after Pfizer’s R&D exit

pharmafile | February 4, 2011 | News story | Research and Development Kent, Pfizer, Sandwich 

The ABPI has defended the UK’s research environment against mounting criticism following Pfizer’s decision to close its Kent research base.

The site, which is Pfizer’s main European R&D facility, will close by 2013 with the loss of around 2,400 jobs and there have suggestions that a poor UK environment for innovation in pharma was behind the move.

Labour’s shadow business secretary John Denhan said Pfizer’s decision was a “warning for the UK” as the US giant “clearly didn’t feel this was a country that they had to be in”.

But UK pharma industry body the ABPI has backed the UK as a destination for science research and said recent government initiatives have strengthened this.

Director general Dr Richard Barker said: “Following comment in the media about the UK environment for pharmaceuticals, we feel very strongly that the UK bioscience environment is world class and, with the changes underway in clinical research, we have the basis for on-going leadership in life sciences.

“We look forward to working with the government to capitalise on these assets in what is still the UK’s leading science-based industry. “

Simon Jose, APBI president and UK head of GSK, singled out the recent creation of a Patent Box, which reduces tax rates for pharma, for praise, saying it would “further strengthen the UK’s position as a primary location for high-tech manufacturing, research and development”.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Dr Richard Pike, chief executive of the Royal College of Chemistry and Science said Pfizer’s decision shouldn’t provoke a “knee-jerk reaction” and needed be looked at outside of the UK context as a larger pharma process.

He added however that both pharma and the government would need to sit down and look at what issues – such as graduate skill sets – that may been a factor in this decision, in order to assess whether the UK will see further reductions.

There have already been a number of closures in the UK in previous years, with the last year’s biggest casualty being AstraZeneca’s Charnwood R&D site, which will close with the loss of 1,200 jobs by 2011.

Pfizer has said that the decision was based on the need to cut around $1.5 billion from its global R&D fund, and not because of any problems with the UK specifically.

Alongside native UK companies GSK and AstraZeneca, Pfizer has been seen as a ‘honorary’ UK pharma company, but from 2013 will have a greatly reduced presence in the country.

Ben Adams

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