GSK to Invest £200 Million in UK Manufacturing
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Manufacturing sites in Ware, Hertfordshire and Worthing, Sussex will be upgraded with new state-of-the-art equipment. In addition GSK will establish a new facility dedicated to harnessing innovative technologies with the potential to transform both the way medicines are made and the company’s supply chain.
Roger Connor, GSK’s President of Global Manufacturing and Supply, said: “The establishment of the Patent Box has transformed how we see the UK as a place to invest. As a result, last year we announced we were building our first new factory in the UK for 40 years. The investments announced today are in addition to that and will allow us to harness new technologies that have the potential to deliver a step-change in how we make medicines. These new technologies could significantly reduce costs, improve quality and enable the manufacture of medicines in weeks rather than years and I am delighted that we have been able to bring these investments to the UK.”
Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary, said: "On the day when we are bringing together the health leaders of the developed world, researchers and pharmaceutical countries to launch the global fight against dementia, it is great to see GSK investing more money and resources into UK life sciences. GSK's decision to invest in the UK shows we are creating the right conditions for global investment, leading to job creation and growth, as well as maintaining the UK's place as a world leader in innovation."
The investments announced today comprise:
- New manufacturing facilities in Ware for the RelvarTM ElliptaTM inhaler – the latest generation of GSK’s inhaler devices for respiratory disease. The Ellipta device was developed at Ware and will now be produced at the site before being exported worldwide.
- In Worthing, a new bulk sterile building and filling line will be built for the company’s leading antibiotic medicine AugmentinTM, which is exported to 150 countries.
- A new centre for manufacturing innovation will be built, dedicated to transforming emerging science and technologies into practical manufacturing applications. These technologies range from mimicking nature using enzymes and biologically inspired catalysts, to using nano-technologies to create intelligent drug product formulations which minimise side-effects and enhance efficacy. Although subject to further decisions, GSK’s preferred site for the location of the new centre is Ware, Hertfordshire where the company already has manufacturing and R&D facilities in one location.
The establishment of the Patent Box has made the UK a globally competitive location for investment in high-tech manufacturing and research facilities. Today’s investment is on top of the £500 million GSK announced in March last year which included a commitment to build a new factory in Ulverston, Cumbria. That investment is creating up to 1,000 jobs and continues to progress on schedule. GSK also recently announced an investment of £25 million to expand its operations in Montrose to support the delivery of its new pipeline of medicines.
