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AstraZeneca to Open Drug Research, Development Site in MA
The strategic center will bring nearly 1,500 drug research and development, commercial, and corporate colleagues into a single purpose-built space in Cambridge, MA.
AstraZeneca recently announced plans to open a new drug research and development site at the heart of Cambridge, MA, for itself and Alexion’s new corporate headquarters.
The strategic center will bring together nearly 1,500 research and development, commercial, and corporate colleagues into a single purpose-built space in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.
The site, scheduled for completion in 2026, will be close to many major academic, pharma, and biotech institutions. The move reinforces AstraZeneca’s commitment to the greater Boston area, with over 570,000 square feet of research and development and commercial space.
“Kendall Square, Cambridge, is at the heart of the life sciences and innovation hub of the greater Boston area, and our new site will put us right at the center of this space,” Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer of AstraZeneca, said in the announcement.
The move will provide access to some of the most innovative partners in academia and biotech, offering opportunities to accelerate our growth and collaborate with like-minded organizations as we continue to push the boundaries of science to deliver advances for patients,” Soriot continued.
In December 2021, AstraZeneca unveiled a $1 billion state-of-the-art research and development facility to advance next-generation therapeutics, including nucleotide-based gene-editing and cell therapies.
The Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge, United Kingdom, will include advanced robotics, high-throughput screening, and artificial intelligence-driven technology. In total, the facility will accommodate over 2,200 research scientists.
Then in March 2022, AstraZeneca launched a global research and development Postdoctoral Challenge to help advance drug discovery for some of the world’s most complex diseases.
The challenge invites final year MD students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers globally to propose their innovative ideas and help boost scientific discovery across AstraZeneca’s core disease areas.
In October, applicants will have the chance to pitch their research ideas to a panel consisting of AstraZeneca and external life science leaders. Experts will select the finalists later this year.
