Pfizer to invest £5m to grow manufacturing capabilities in Kent

Pfizer has announced a £5 million investment in its Discovery Park site in Sandwich, Kent. The investment will enhance Pfizer’s patient-centric design and manufacturing capability for paediatric medicines in clinical trials. The sum will cover the cost of a highly-specialised novel manufacturing technology enabling scientists to explore innovative ways to make medicines more palatable with flexible dosing for children – amplifying the company’s patient-first approach.

This investment is the latest in a series of investments Pfizer has made in advanced manufacturing technology at its site in Sandwich. Totalling £36 million since 2018 and leading to renewed growth and 80 new scientific jobs, these investments form part of Pfizer’s ongoing strategy to invest in research and development.

Pfizer is investing £5m to grow its manufacturing capabilities at its Kent facility – since 2018, Pfizer has invested more than £36m into advanced manufacturing & innovation at the Sandwich site / Picture: Pfizer

Julian Thompson VP of Global Regulatory Operations & Sandwich Site Head, said: “Since 1954, our site at Sandwich has played a crucial role in the development of new, life-saving medicines. This investment demonstrates Pfizer’s continuing focus on innovation in advanced manufacturing and highlights our patient first approach; ensuring that cutting-edge technology can be used to design and manufacture medicines for clinical trials that are palatable for children with the most serious illnesses. Today’s announcement builds on a series of investments we have made to this site over the last few years and further reinforces our commitment to progressing science here in the UK.”

The local economy is also set to benefit. An additional £5 million of funding has been unlocked from Kent County Council through the East Kent Growth Fund which was established in 2012 to help investors grow businesses and create new jobs in the area.

Paul Carter, Leader and Cabinet Member for Health Reform, Kent County Council, added: “Today, at the MMIP conference, we are delighted to announce that Kent County Council is investing £5 million in a new venture capital fund aimed at supporting SME Life Sciences businesses at Discovery Park. This builds on efforts made by KCC and partners in the Sandwich task force, which helped to secure the site over the last seven years and has grown business investment. There are now 3,500 people employed on the site, 1,100 more jobs on the site than when the task force was set up. Our investment, coupled with Pfizer’s ongoing contribution to the site and surrounding life sciences community, will boost Kent’s position as a centre for scientific excellence in the UK. We are pleased to be working together with Pfizer, Kent’s universities and other key partners in the Kent economy to develop this initiative.”

There are currently over 700 employees based at Pfizer’s site in Sandwich, working across a number of functions critical to the delivery of Pfizer’s mid-to-late stage medicines portfolio. At the site, the Pharmaceutical Science group is home to Pfizer’s only small molecule pilot plant that manufactures medicines for use in clinical trials worldwide. In addition, the Regulatory Submissions hub supports 50% of Pfizer’s global submissions to 175 countries.