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Merck has announced that it has invested €35m in biosafety testing at its sites in Glasgow and Stirling, both Scotland. Biosafety testing is a crucial step in the drug development process, which ensures that new drugs are safe, efficacious and meet any regulatory requirements.

It is thought that this investment and the subsequent expansion will create approximately 500 new jobs, with the centrepiece of the investment taking the form of a new 1,200-square-metre facility in Glasgow, which will be home to molecular biology and sequencing services.

The company also plans to expand testing capability in its current buildings, including biosafety testing, analytical development and viral clearance suites. This investment follows other similar investments in Maryland, US, and Shanghai, China, both of which have seen recent testing expansions.

Dirk Lange, head of life science services at Merck Life Science, commented: “We remain committed to ensuring the safety of the world's medicines through our state-of-the-art testing solutions for our customers around the world that drive new treatments. Since mid-2022, we have announced investments of more than €350 million in our global testing network to meet the growing demand for these services.”

Davis McClelland, site head and managing director for Merck’s Scottish sites, added: “Merck has a wealth of testing expertise spanning over 75 years, including 33 years here in Scotland. The biosafety testing services at our sites in Glasgow and Stirling have been experiencing strong, double-digit growth for several years. This investment is a significant announcement for Merck in Scotland and an acknowledgment of the great work of our on-site teams.”