Merck has announced the closure of its London R&D lab, citing concerns over the UK’s life sciences policies, following similar moves by AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly. AstraZeneca paused a $271 million investment in its Cambridge research campus, reflecting a third major pharma company pulling back significant expansion plans in the UK this week. This trend has raised alarms about the UK's competitiveness as a global biotech hub amid uncertainty in government support and investment climate.