A ground-breaking moment for MSD London Discovery Centre & Headquarters development in Kings Cross

October 17, 2023 8:00 am +00:00

LONDON, October 17, 2023 – To celebrate progress on the development of MSD’s new London Discovery Research Centre and Headquarters, a ground-breaking event took place at 13/21 Euston Road, the former Belgrove House site, followed by a reception at the Camden Town Hall.

Dr Dean Y. Li, President of MSD Research Labs, together with representatives from the developer and owner, Precis Advisory, and building contractor for the shell and core, Mace, welcomed Dr Angela Kukula, CEO of Med City at the site, to ceremonially ‘break the ground’ on the new development.

At the reception that followed, local community representatives including members of Camden Council and the life sciences community heard about the development and the overall vision MSD has as a company for making a positive impact through innovative science and collaborations both in the UK and across Europe.

The occasion marked an important milestone in the previously announced development of MSD’s new London headquarters.  The 25,000 square facility, located at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, is expected to be occupied by MSD in 2027.

Once complete, the development will be a state of the art laboratory and office, home to approximately 800 MSD employees, including approximately 180 discovery scientists, alongside colleagues in business development, regulatory affairs, clinical and business roles.

Designed to the highest standards of sustainability, the building will incorporate a life sciences educational centre, a publicly accessible auditorium and a new, accessible London Underground entrance for King’s Cross.

By bringing together scientific talent and investing in discovery research, MSD is focused on discovering and developing medicines and vaccines against some of the most challenging diseases facing populations around the world.  Locally, there is a strong commitment from the company to deliver value to the Camden community and schools through a range of engagement initiatives, and dedicted programmes.

Dr Dean Y. Li, President of MSD Research , commented:

“Our talented discovery scientists in London are an integral part of MSD’s global research network.  It was a pleasure to attend today’s event with excitement for the future when our research and head office colleagues will be co-located under one roof in a new state of the art facility.”

Ben Lucas, Managing Director for MSD in the UK and Ireland, commented:

“Breaking ground on our new MSD London Discovery Centre and HQ represents an important milestone as we progress toward the opening of our new UK home in 2027. With the benefit of London’s thriving life sciences eco-system and Knowledge Quarter right on our doorstep, I’m excited about the collaboration opportunities we are developing for our company, building towards this exciting new chapter and what this represents for employees and our partnership with the local community and beyond.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

 “London is a world leading life sciences location, and the sector is vital to ensure the creation of good jobs and to stimulate growth as part of my work to build a more prosperous city for all Londoners.

“I’m delighted that MSD’s new headquarters and Discovery Centre will help cement London’s position as a global life sciences hub. An active collaborator with the London BioScience Innovation Centre, the Francis Crick Institute and university partners, MSD is already a valued part of our life sciences ecosystem. Their £1billion investment is a clear demonstration that London is the best place to do business.”

Faaiza A. Lalji, Director of Planning and Development at Precis, said:

“For over two decades, Precis has been a proud investor in Camden and London. This important project is the next chapter in our commitment to this thriving neighbourhood and especially to the growing Knowledge Quarter we are privileged to be driving forward in partnership with the borough and others.

“MSD is a major player in the global business of science, driving innovation and life-enhancing scientific discoveries. We could not be more excited to be working with them to deliver a new home in Camden for their breakthrough research.

“Today marks the first major milestone in the delivery of Belgrove House. We know that Mace, our delivery partner for the building’s shell and core, will continue to work at pace to deliver a high-quality building which brings the ambitious vision of world-leading architects AHMM to life.”

About MSD

At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities.  For more information, visit www.msd-uk.com and connect with us @MSDintheUK on Twitter, LinkedIn,  Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.  

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

            This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

            Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

            The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December, 2022 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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GB-NON-08280 | Oct 2023