Novartis begins construction of new research centre in San Diego, US
The Swiss pharma company Novartis has begun work on a new global biomedical research centre in San Diego, United States. The 43,300 m2 facility will be operational in 2029 and house around 1,000 employees.
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The new centre is a key pillar of the pharmaceutical group’s planned $23 billion (CHF19 billion) investment in the US.
The facility is designed to accelerate the discovery of breakthrough drugs and will become an integral part of Novartis’s global research network, which includes sites in Basel, Switzerland, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company giant said.
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Researchers will focus on key therapeutic fields such as neuroscience, oncology, age-related diseases and regenerative medicine, exploiting state-of-the-art technology platforms.
“This new research centre will strengthen our scientific leadership and accelerate drug discovery for patients around the world,” said Fiona Marshall, president of Novartis’ biomedical research division, in a statement.
A key feature of the facility will be the advanced integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure computational and data analysis capabilities at each stage of the discovery process.
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The investment has been welcomed by the local authorities. “This step by Novartis confirms San Diego as a place where revolutionary science comes to life and innovation translates into high-quality jobs and life-changing medicines,” said local mayor Todd Gloria in the press release.
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The new centre builds on more than 25 years of ties between Novartis and San Diego and is part of a broader expansion strategy in the US. This includes a new manufacturing unit in North Carolina, radioligand therapy manufacturing facilities in California, Florida and Texas, as well as the expansion of existing sites.
This development follows a period of strong pressure by the Trump administration on pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices and manufacture locally.
Adapted from French by AI/sb
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