Pfizer is expanding its R&D efforts in China and announced plans to build a new facility.

An agreement has been signed to establish a new Pfizer R&D centre in Wuhan, which the firm says represents an expansion of its existing facility in Shanghai. Once the new plant is built, the company expects the number of employees to grow to 200 within three years but gave no details about the financial investment involved.

Pfizer noted that its Wuhan operation will liaise with local research institutes and universities “utilising the rich resources of local talent and existing industry capabilities to develop research collaborations”. It stressed that Shanghai will remain “the operations hub of Pfizer’s R&D effort in China”.

Allan Gabor, the company’s North Asia president, noted that it is the first to establish a significant R&D presence in China’s Central/Western region. He added that the Wuhan centre will be an integral part of Pfizer’s global R&D operations “while being closely aligned with the Chinese government’s strategy on biopharmaceutical industry development in the region.”

The site will be based at the Wuhan National Bioindustry Base, or Biolake, the construction for which started in November last year.