AbbVie has announced the expansion of its UK R&D facility, AbbVie Oxford. The new 12,000-square-foot site will expand AbbVie’s research capabilities across immunology, neuroscience and oncology.
The opening builds on capabilities established through AbbVie’s acquisition of Oxford-founded biotechnology company DJS Antibodies in October 2022 and forms part of more than £120 million invested and committed to scientific research, academic collaborations and talent development across the UK life sciences ecosystem.
“AbbVie Oxford is expanding to further harness the leading life sciences ecosystem in Oxford that brings together academic and clinical expertise and strong scientific talent,” said Jon Sedgwick, senior vice president and global head of discovery research, AbbVie. “Human biology and reverse translation are fundamental to our approach for identifying promising disease targets and combination therapies to advance potential new medicines for people living with serious diseases where significant unmet needs remain. This investment will help us build on that approach as we expand our scientific capabilities and deepen collaboration across the UK life sciences ecosystem.”
“Scientific discovery is only the beginning. Its real impact comes when innovations reach the patients who need them,” said Kelly Sanderson Schrems, vice president and general manager, AbbVie UK. “Countries that combine good access and uptake of innovative medicines with world-class research and development are best placed to attract global life sciences investment and improve health outcomes. The UK has made important commitments on life sciences growth. Delivering on these commitments is critical to maintaining global competitiveness and ensuring innovative medicines reach patients.”
AbbVie supports and engages with more than 100 universities and research organisations each year in the UK, supporting the broader scientific ecosystem and helping create opportunities to advance breakthrough science. One collaboration with the University of Oxford is exploring how patients with certain inflammatory conditions respond, both molecularly and clinically, to different treatments across an extended phase of their disease course, helping to guide the development of medicines in the future. AbbVie also funds a postdoctoral research programme at the University of Oxford to investigate the biological drivers of a number of inflammatory diseases.
AbbVie employs more than 1,100 people across all functions at its UK sites in Oxford, Maidenhead and Marlow and the new site will significantly expand its research capabilities in the region.