PFIZER marked 50 years of achievement at Sandwich with the opening of a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical sciences building.

The building, officially opened by science minister Lord Sainsbury, is one of the most advanced of its kind in Europe and will be home to 570 Pfizer scientists and support staff who will play a key role in developing new medicines for use by patients worldwide.

At a cost of £115m, it is the latest stage in a major investment programme that will maintain the Sandwich laboratories as a world-class facility for the discovery and development of human and animal medicines.

Pfizer chairman and chief executive Dr Hank McKinnell said: "Pfizer's investment in this state-of-the-art facility demonstrates its commitment to Sandwich. It also bears testimony to the quality of the science conducted here and the site's discovery of some of Pfizer's most important medicines.

"The success of our business depends on being able to conduct innovative science that advances the boundaries of biomedical knowledge.

“We appreciate the British government's recognition that research and development is key to sustaining the competitiveness of the nation. We have responded by investing more than £1bn in Sandwich in the past decade."

Dr McKinnell added that innovations made in the Sandwich labs have produced medicines that have made a significant contribution to public health worldwide.

Director of the Sandwich laboratories, Dr Annette Doherty, said:" With new facilities like this and a promising pipeline of candidates in development, the Sandwich Laboratories have an exciting future as well as a proud past."

Pfizer Sandwich employs 2,900 people in research and development, a further 900 people in manufacturing and including contractors there are more than 5,000 people based at the site. In the past 50 years it has grown to become the largest biomedical research and development centre in Europe and gained a reputation as a global centre of excellence.