WILMINGTON, DE — AstraZeneca has opened a new research and development center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of a more than $1 billion investment expected to expand its workforce in the state by over 50%, strengthening its U.S. drug development operations across cancer, respiratory disease and emerging therapies.
The 570,000-square-foot facility at 290 Binney Street in Kendall Square will operate alongside AstraZeneca’s existing genomic medicine site at 100 Binney Street. Together, the two locations will accommodate nearly 2,000 researchers and scientists.
The expansion is part of AstraZeneca’s broader $50 billion U.S. investment program and represents a substantial commitment to Massachusetts as a center for pharmaceutical research.
The company expects its investment in the state to generate additional employment and economic activity over the coming years, including jobs associated with its expanding research operations.
The new 18-story building contains 10 floors of interconnected laboratories equipped with robotics, automated research systems and agentic artificial intelligence technologies designed to support drug discovery and development.
Research at the facility will focus on oncology, cell therapy, chronic diseases and rare disorders, including treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, metabolic conditions and breast cancer.
AstraZeneca also plans to advance biologic medicines and cell therapies as part of its strategy to develop products supporting revenue growth beyond 2030.
The investment increases the company’s research capacity in Kendall Square, where pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, academic institutions and healthcare organizations operate within a concentrated life sciences district.
“Kendall Square is a leading innovation ecosystem, and it is one of the key locations where AstraZeneca will discover the next generation of scientific breakthroughs,” said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s chief executive officer.
Soriot said the expansion reflects the company’s commitment to U.S.-based research intended to support medicine development for international markets.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey described the investment as an important addition to the state’s life sciences economy.
“AstraZeneca’s more than $1 billion investment is a major vote of confidence in Massachusetts and the extraordinary talent we have here,” Healey said.
The new center builds on AstraZeneca’s more than 75-year operating history in Massachusetts, where the company has established research operations focused on drug discovery and genomic medicine.
Alongside the facility expansion, AstraZeneca plans to continue academic research partnerships, science and technology education initiatives, and workforce development programs intended to support recruitment and training in the state’s biomedical sector.
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