Contact UsInvestorsCareersMediaScienceContact Us
HomeSciencePfizer in the UKOur History

Our History and Achievements in the UK

Throughout Pfizer's 170 year history, and over 70 years in the UK, we have remained dedicated to discovering and developing new and better ways to prevent and treat disease, and improve the health and wellbeing of people around the world.

1952

Pfizer establishes operations in Folkestone, Kent, to convert base compounds into medicines ready for UK patients.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

1954

A new facility is established in nearby Sandwich. At its heart are ‘deep-tank fermentation’ methods, developed to mass produce penicillin for the troops during World War II. Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, is guest of honour when the first batch of antibiotic is produced.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

1963

The Pfizer business is structured around five core divisions: Pharmaceutical, Chemicals, Consumer, Agricultural, and Research.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

1970's

Pfizer Research unit in Sandwich employs more than 400 people and becomes the largest research operation of any American pharmaceutical company.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

1980s-1990s

Pfizer continues to grow, launching new medicines across a range of therapy areas – several discovered at our Sandwich site.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2000

Pfizer and Warner-Lambert merge to create the world’s fastest growing pharmaceutical company.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2002

Pfizer UK’s commercial operations relocate to new headquarters at Walton Oaks, near Tadworth in Surrey.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2003

Pfizer UK and Pharmacia merge to become the largest pharmaceutical company in the UK.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2008

Pfizer forms a research unit in Cambridge dedicated to developing therapies for Regenerative Medicine.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2009

Pfizer merges with Wyeth

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2010

A new state-of-the-art packaging facility opens at the company’s site in Havant, Hampshire.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2012

A review of R&D operations worldwide leads to a reduced presence in Sandwich. The aquisition of the site by Discovery Park UK enables it to become the base for a variety of companies from the life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, science and technology sectors.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2015

Pfizer merges with Hospira.

A review of Pfizer’s global R&D strategy leads to the closure of Pfizer’s Regenerative Medicine units in Cambridge. However, the Devices Centre of Excellence (DCoE) remains.

Pfizer’s vaccines portfolio grows in the UK with the acquisitions of two vaccines from Baxter, and another from GSK.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2016

Pfizer achieves Top Employer certification in the UK.

Pfizer acquires a portfolio of anti-infective medicines from AstraZeneca.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2017

The Pfizer Healthcare Hub: London launches – an initiative to support established health-technology start-ups.

Pfizer achieves Top Employer certification in the UK for the second year running.

Pfizer sponsors the Science Museum exhibition "Superbugs: The Fight for Our Lives"

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2018

Pfizer celebrates 20 years of clinical trial supply at Sandwich and invests in two new pieces of equipment for controlled-release manufacturing technology.

Pfizer achieves Top Employer certification in the UK for the third year running.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2019

Pfizer achieves Top Employer certification in the UK for the fourth year in a row.

Etiam vel malesuada eros, feugiat augue. Sed posuere mi sed pulvinar, eleifend varius augue Proin eleifend ultricies ligula iaculis. In in dapibus lorem, vel sodals.

2020

Pfizer outlines 5-point plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a collaboration with BioNTech to co-develop a potential vaccination.

Pfizer achieves Top Employer UK certification for the fifth year running.

Pfizer UK Consumer Healthcare becomes part of the new GSK Consumer Healthcare joint venture.

2021

Pfizer launches Vaccine Centre of Excellence at the University of Bristol.

£10 million investment made in our site in Sandwich, Kent, to help improve the speed at which tablets can be produced for Pfizer clinical trials around the world.

Pfizer achieves Top Employer UK certification for the sixth year running.

2022

Pfizer launches 'An Accord for a Healthier World' to help reduce health inequities that exist between many lower-income countries and the rest of the world.

Pfizer announces ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2040, to reduce company emissions by 95% and value chain emissions by 90%.

PP-UNP-GBR-3784 / February 2023
Science Products Responsibility PartnershipsCareers Privacy Statement Terms of Use Contact UsSitemap Copyright © 2017-2024 Pfizer Limited. PP-UNP-GBR-8108 / January 2024. All rights reserved. Registered in England and Wales No. 526209. Registered office: Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9NJ. VAT No. GB201048427. This website is intended for the general public in the UK.