AstraZeneca makes $100m research investment in Boston

AstraZeneca is to make a $100m research investment at its r&d centre near Boston, Massachusetts. The expansion of the facility will accommodate up to 100 additional researchers to join the more than 400 existing employees who are focused on discovering treatments for infectious diseases and cancer.

Construction of the 132,000ft² facility will begin at the Waltham, Massachusetts, site during the first quarter of 2007 with scheduled completion by mid 2009. Upon completion, the total size of the AstraZeneca research facility will be 382,000ft².

AstraZeneca first established a research presence in Boston in 1995. In 2000, the company opened its state-of-the-art research facility in Waltham where it has continued to invest and expand, growing from 170,000ft² to the current 250,000ft² facility.

'This investment will significantly boost our research capabilities in two critical areas of medical need, and two areas where we have tremendous heritage,' said David Brennan, ceo of AstraZeneca.

Since the opening of AstraZeneca R&D Boston, scientists there have discovered three potential drugs that are under development to treat different cancers including breast, ovarian, thyroid and prostate cancer, and two novel-class candidate drugs to potentially treat serious skin infections, serious cases of chronic bronchitis and serious pneumonias.

'Infectious disease is becoming more prevalent and problematic to patients and healthcare providers, placing a heavy burden on our healthcare systems,' added Jan Lundberg, executive vice president, AstraZeneca Global Discovery Research. 'With our expanded presence in Boston, our scientists will be better equipped to discover and develop novel medicines to address important areas of unmet need.'