AstraZeneca to invest 2.5 bln dollars in Beijing research, development center

Pascal Soriot, the chief executive officer of global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, has announced the company will invest 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in a research and development center in Beijing, focused on accelerating scientific innovation, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development, and reinforcing the company's commitment to China's healthcare sector.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) over the weekend at the 2025 China Development Forum, Soriot discussed AstraZeneca's plans for this significant investment.

"Last year, we announced an investment in manufacturing -- a big plant in Qingdao. This year, we are announcing a large investment of about 20 billion yuan in Beijing to create the No.6 R and D strategic center in the world. And we do this because innovation in our industry, in China, is exploding. And we want to partner with those companies and help them, work with them, to develop new medicines, and bring those medicines as quickly as possible to patients in China, but also outside of China," Soriot said.

The investment is aimed at enhancing AstraZeneca's research and development capabilities to address both local and global healthcare needs. Soriot emphasized the collaborative nature of the company's strategy.

"What we're going to do is partner with academic institutions and also biotech companies to very quickly, using AI, research and develop medicines. And then we will use our global clinical network to do clinical trials around the world, and then of course, get approval and commercialize these medicines, that many of them can be manufactured in China and exported from China. We already export to 70 countries around the world from China," Soriot explained.

AI is a cornerstone of AstraZeneca's drug development strategy, and Soriot emphasized the transformative impact the technology has on the industry.

"So AI is actually affecting many, many industries, of course, many parts of life. But in our industry, it has a tremendous impact. In the past, when you had a molecule, you had to optimize it, it would take six months. Now you can do this in two weeks. It also helps us accelerate the clinical trials. So AI is really transforming the way we develop medicines," Soriot said.

Beyond innovation, AstraZeneca is prioritizing patient care through early diagnosis and chronic disease management.

"We invest in early diagnosis, and then we bring those medicines to patients. We partner with hospitals and doctors to make sure patients are diagnosed and treated appropriately. And that's where we focus our interventions: diagnose patients early, try to keep their chronic conditions under control. And again, the objective is really to make sure people not only live longer, but they live, they are healthy," Soriot said.

AstraZeneca to invest 2.5 bln dollars in Beijing research, development center

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests