Macclesfield MP David Rutley paid tribute to the hard work of staff at AstraZeneca as he opened a new £6 million laboratory at AstraZeneca.
The new laboratory is for the production of Copolymer, used in Zoladex; an injectable drug used to treat prostate cancer. Zoladex is AstraZeneca’s fifth biggest selling product and a key medicine for AstraZeneca globally. The small Copolymer team was successful in putting forward a strong business case for the new leading edge facility, which is critical to our local economy.
The laboratory is in addition to the recently announced £120 million investment in AstraZeneca’s Macclesfield site, which will secure 300 jobs. It is also estimated that over 200 temporary jobs will be created during the construction and commissioning phase of the improvements to the site, which run until early 2017.
Following the laboratory opening, David said, “It was an honour to open this new state of the art facility. AstraZeneca’s continued investment in Macclesfield is good news for all its employees and the local economy. The dedicated Copolymer team at AstraZeneca makes a tremendous contribution to improving lives in the UK and around the word. Zoladex makes a real difference to men with prostate cancer and I am proud that Macclesfield remains at the forefront of medical innovation.”