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Astrazneca graduated from its plans to build a factory to manufacture UK vaccines worth 450 million pounds after months of quarrels with British officials about the state's investment of the Mercyside project, in a major blow to the government of Prime Minister Sir Kiir Starmer.
The officials made a revised offer for the financial support of the site at Speke this month, which was much higher than 40 million pounds, and said people who have knowledge of arrangements.
The government of work at Starmer sought last summer Reducing the amount of state support It was provided to the project from about 90 million pounds to 40 million pounds, according to the people who were briefed on this.
“After long discussions with the government, we no longer follow our planned investments in Speke,” Astrazneca said in a statement on Friday. “Several factors have affected this decision, including timing and reducing the final offer compared to the proposal of the previous government.”
The company said that the current Speke site will continue to produce and provide the influenza vaccine.
The decision is a blow to the Starmer government, a few days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves sought to put the United Kingdom as a very attractive place for life sciences for investment.
However, its budget for increasing public public taxes and a large number of other measures, including the minimum wage, has sparked a violent reaction than business leaders who warned that movements make the UK a less attractive place to investment.
The previous offer of the group of medicines carried out by the former conservative advisor Jeremy Hunt included up to 70 million pounds in grants to develop an existing wave Astrazeneca The people said that the vaccine facility in Speke, in addition to 20 million pounds in supporting research and development from the UK Health Security Agency.
The Treasury did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
People close to Astrazeneca said she was looking at other possible manufacturing sites.
Another person said that the drug company, the largest company in the United Kingdom according to the market value, has become “very frustrated” with the UK government, with one point of tension in a wider clash in the industry on the prices of medicines and investing the future of life sciences.
In November, Astrazeneca said it intends to invest $ 3.5 billion in research, development and manufacturing In the United StatesThe largest drug market in the world, which generates 44 percent of the company's sales.
The investment reflects “the attractiveness of the business environment with the quality of talent and innovation capabilities.”
The company also plans to a $ 1.5 billion manufacturing facility in Singapore, and last week it pledged an investment of $ 560 million in Canada.
People with commercial activity said that its decision on the Speke facility will not affect any other Astrazeneca investments in the United Kingdom.
In March, the UK Conservative Government said that Astrazeneca will invest 450 million pounds to search, develop and manufacture new vaccines in Speke.
The Vinanchel Times times mentioned at the time when the company was looking to secure up to 100 million pounds in the state support.
