Major pharmaceutical companies Merck, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly have each halted or reconsidered significant investments in the United Kingdom's life sciences sector. Merck withdrew from a large London R&D facility as it increases U.S. investments, citing policy concerns. AstraZeneca paused a $271 million expansion in its Cambridge research site, the third pharma company recently to pull back UK plans. Eli Lilly is reconsidering its Gateway Labs initiative amid unclear government support, reflecting broader apprehensions about the UK's biotech environment and raising questions about the UK's competitiveness in attracting and retaining pharmaceutical investments.