February 1, 2011

expert reaction to pharmaceuticals group Pfizer closing its research and development (R&D) facility in Kent

Pfizer announced the closure of its R&D facility in Sandwich, Kent, where 2,400 people worked.

Sir Richard Sykes, former Chairman of GSK and Chairman of the Royal Institution, said:

“The Pfizer announcement is certainly a shock but not unexpected. I do not have the full story but it is worrying that a major life sciences company pulls its R&D facilities out of the UK when this is an area in which we excel and wish to expand.”

Dr Mark Downs, CEO of the Society of Biology, said:

“The UK remains one of the best places in the world to do research. But we rely on major research intensive business to provide the jobs and translational capability that the UK so desperately needs to drive growth and innovation. The small business sector can do a great deal but it relies considerably on the supply chain from big pharma companies. This announcement by Pfizer is a real blow, both to the local community and the UK research base. The Government and Pfizer must do all they can to maintain their research capacity in different formats – possibly through deals with contract research organisations.”

Colin Blakemore, Professor of Neuroscience, University of Oxford, said:

“This is a shocking wake-up call. The pharmaceutical industry will go where it can recruit the best trained scientists and can interact with the best university researchers. That is what they used to value in this country. We must respond to this signal that one of our most important industries no longer has confidence in the future of British science.”

Dr Richard Horton, Chief Editor of the Lancet, said:

“Historically, Pfizer has made an unprecedented commitment to research and development in the UK. The closure of its Sandwich facility is a terrible blow, locally and nationally. The government, together with leaders in medical research, must do all we can to foster an ever closer link between our world-leading medical research workforce and the research-based pharmaceutical industry. At a time of a global recession in research, the only sustainable solution for UK medical research – and so the quality of NHS care – is to forge a stronger, more confident, and closer linkage with industry.”

Prof Chris Mason, Chair of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing, University College London, said:

“Yet again a major pharma company shuts down its UK facilities whilst bolstering its home operations. Over the last decade, world-class UK centres for big pharma and biotech have taken massive hits. This is totally unacceptable. Therefore we must ensure that the final wave of advanced medicines, namely stem cell-based therapies, is firmly embedded in the UK and not likewise poached away. This will be the UK’s last opportunity to have a robust and vibrant healthcare sector delivering both patient and economic health.”

Imran Khan, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said:

“This is really terrible news for researchers at Sandwich. The only silver-lining is that Pfizer have made clear the decision isn’t based on anything that the UK has done wrong – it seems to have been in the pipeline for a while.

“We’re still a great place to do research, and if politicians can show that they intend to make science and engineering integral to their economic plans, industry investment will follow.”