AbbVie expands Oxford R&D facility with new £120m UK research commitment

pharmafile.com | November 9, 2026 | News story | |  Disease, Immunology, Infections and infestations, Neurology, Oncology, R&D, Rare Diseases, facilities, investment 

AbbVie has expanded its Oxford research and development (R&D) facility with a new 12,000 sq ft site, strengthening its discovery research capabilities in immunology, neuroscience and oncology.

The expansion builds on the company’s 2022 acquisition of Oxford-based biotechnology business DJS Antibodies and forms part of more than £120m invested and committed by AbbVie to scientific research, academic collaborations and talent development across the UK life sciences sector.

The Oxford facility combines the research capabilities developed through DJS Antibodies with AbbVie’s global R&D network. The company said the expansion would support work on disease targets and potential combination therapies, drawing on human biology and clinical research.

AbbVie also collaborates with more than 100 UK universities and research organisations each year. Its work with the University of Oxford includes research into how patients with inflammatory conditions respond to different treatments at molecular and clinical levels, as well as a postdoctoral programme investigating the biological drivers of inflammatory diseases.

Jon Sedgwick, senior vice-president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie, said the expansion would enable the company to build on Oxford’s academic and clinical expertise and deepen collaboration across the UK research community.

AbbVie employs more than 1,100 people across its UK sites in Oxford, Maidenhead and Marlow.

Pic: Martin Lopez