AstraZeneca Pfizer: Cameron demands more assurances

The Prime Minister's missive came as the bosses of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca agreed to a grilling by two influential select committees.

Mr Read and Pascal Soriot, his opposite number at AstraZeneca, will appear before the select committees on both business and science next week. The science committee will also question senior research figures at the companies as well as David Willetts, Science Minister. The business committee has also called union leaders.

The Government is understood to be seeking firmer assurances from Pfizer after a string of political and scientific figures raised doubts about the certainty of any commitments.

George Freeman, Conservative MP and one of the architects of the coalition's Life Sciences Strategy, has called for the Government to offer Pfizer quicker uptake of new medicines by the NHS and access to the UK's genome database in exchange for a longer-term agreement. He also spoke with a senior scientist at Pfizer on the suggestion this week.

"The truth is we are in a global race for investment. We cannot legislate for jobs. Modern Governments have to be more enterprising and business-like in creating a landscape attractive to business," he told the Telegraph.

Pfizer meanwhile sought to calm nerves over its intentions for Britain's prized science base by issuing a one-page infographic touting its research and development activities.

It said a union between the two companies would "deepen research efforts, bolster innovative science, speed development of treatments and broaden its emerging markets footprint". Pfizer also highlighted its two UK research and development locations in Cambridge and Sandwich.

AstraZeneca also redoubled efforts to convince shareholders its research and development pipeline would be better off in an independent company. Briggs Morrison, chief medical officer of the Anglo-Swedish company, yesterday embarked on a series of meetings with top shareholders to spell out the benefits of preserving AstraZeneca's research and development plans. He said a takeover could destroy value in AstraZeneca's pipeline of upcoming drugs by disrupting crucial decision-making on key drug candidates.

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