MSD Announces Opening of New Laboratory Located at The Francis Crick Institute

September 5, 2024 11:00 am ET

LONDON, September 5, 2024 – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA) today announced the official opening of a newly constructed laboratory facility at The Francis Crick Institute.

George Addona, Senior Vice President and Head of Discovery, Preclinical and Translational Medicine, MSD Research Laboratories, and Sir Paul Nurse, Chief Executive Officer, The Francis Crick Institute, welcomed Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, at today’s opening ceremony which celebrated the collective drive towards groundbreaking discovery science that advances human health.

Located on the top floor of the Crick in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, the newly constructed “Skylab”, consists of a 1098 m²state-of-the-art research laboratory and office space. The new facility will accommodate approximately 50 MSD researchers, who join MSD’s rapidly expanding interdisciplinary London-based team of over 100 scientists with expertise spanning chemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience and immunology.

MSD has signed a 3-year agreement to lease the Crick’s “Skylab” facility and marks the latest investment in the growth of MSD’s discovery science capabilities in London ahead of the company’s new MSD Research Laboratories, London and UK Headquarters, which is under construction in King’s Cross and due to be completed in 2027. In addition to the Crick, MSD scientists are also conducting research at the London Bioscience Innovation Centre (LBIC).

Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, commented:

“The opening of Skylab represents a fantastic opportunity to advance UK science and is a vote of confidence in the UK as an investment destination. This state-of-the-art facility not only expands laboratory space in the heart of London and strengthens collaboration between the Crick Institute and MSD, but it also creates an environment where pioneering research can thrive, driving both economic growth and transformative advances in healthcare.

“We’re committed to renewing the UK’s leadership in life sciences – a cornerstone of the UK’s success – deepening ties between the public, private and third sector to ensure growth across every region of the country”

George Addona, senior vice president and head of discovery, preclinical and translational medicine, MSD Research Laboratories, commented:

“We believe that collaboration is critical to fueling innovation and the successful translation of basic science into clinical development. Our talented team of London-based discovery scientists are an integral part of MSD’s global research network, and we are pleased to expand our research presence in London’s Knowledge Quarter.”

Paul Nurse, CEO of Francis Crick, commented:

              “Permeability across the life sciences sector is key for encouraging innovation and driving translation of discoveries for societal benefit. Our partnership with MSD highlights the great potential for growth from within the UK’s strengths in discovery research.

Thank you to the teams from both organisations who made this possible. It takes real creativity and vision to reimagine an empty space and fulfil the complex needs of world-leading research groups.”

About MSD

At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., 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 X (formerly 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 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 31, 2023 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-10052 | September 2024