The development will anchor more ambitious plans to create a world-leading centre for health and life sciences on the 3.3 hectare North Quay site, next to the new Elizabeth Line station.

The London Docklands developer is switching its attention to developing a major life sciences building cluster in east London after the pandemic dented office demand.

The planned building will rise to 22 storeys and will be the largest commercial wet lab-enabled life science building in Europe.

Importantly it will be a laboratory building at its core, with full flexibility allowing lab space on all floors.

Designed by KPF, the building will create a campus under one roof, housing SMEs and academics as well as global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf Group, said: “Canary Wharf Group has been developing a vision for health and life sciences since 2019 and we are proud to be working with an exceptional partner in Kadans, the European leader in the development and management of life sciences buildings and ecosystems.

“We are creating a world class building that will provide state of the art laboratory, office and innovation space for some of the most exciting and fast-growing businesses in the health and life sciences sector.”