Drug maker Pfizer, known for making Viagra, to shut Cambridge office, putting up to 120 jobs at risk
Drug maker Pfizer has today announced that it is closing one of its research sites in Cambridge.
The decision to shut the Neusentis facility at Granta Park, which is part of the company's wider plans to reduce its investment in pain research, puts up to 120 jobs on the line.
A statement from the company said: "Scientific research is a complex endeavour, with a lot of inherent risk and failure. Difficult decisions need to be made even in areas where we had hope for meaningful progress. However, we will continue to make investments in the most promising areas of scientific innovation in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
"Site closures are never easy. During this period, Pfizer’s priority is to support the 120 colleagues who may be affected."
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The unit, which was established in 2011, focuses on research into pain, sensory disorders and regenerative medicine.
The drug maker has said it has entered into consultation with those staff who would be affected by the closure. The final decision to close the site, Viagra maker Pfizer said, would be dependent on the completion of the consultation and any other legal requirements.
However, Pfizer's presence will still be felt in the UK, as the company, which currently has more than 2,500 staff in the country, recently opened two research centres in London. It also has its Device Centre of Excellence, which employs around 30 people and focuses on developing drug delivery devices such as inhalers, in the same business park as Neusentis.
The announcement comes less than a fortnight after Pfizer revealed its merger with Botox manufacturer Allergan had been given the go ahead by both the companies' directors. The deal will create a drugs company with market capitalisation of $300bn (£198bn).