GSK opens £56m manufacturing facility in UK

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened a £56m manufacturing facility in the UK to increase the production of the company’s Ellipta inhalers

The new 4500m facility was opened by UK life sciences minister, George Freeman and GSK chief executive officer, Andrew Witty.

GSK said that the new facility is expected to nearly double production of Ellipta inhalers at Ware to at least 37 million per year by 2017, 95% of which will be exported.  

The Ellipta inhaler is a multi-dose dry powder inhaler developed to deliver GSK’s portfolio of once-daily respiratory medicines.

Witty said: “This new facility demonstrates our commitment to manufacturing in the UK which continues to be a very positive environment for life sciences investment.

“We have been leaders in respiratory since the 1960s when we first began making inhalers for the treatment of respiratory diseases in Ware and it continues to be a critically important site for us, both in terms of researching and developing innovative new inhaler technology, and as a world-leading manufacturing hub.

“We currently export Ellipta inhalers from Ware to over 74 countries and the new facility opened today will increase capacity to meet growing demand for our new portfolio of respiratory medicines worldwide.”

Freeman said: “This £56 million investment by GSK is fantastic news for Ware and the UK’s thriving life sciences industry.

“As well as driving growth and creating 150 new jobs, this expansion of GSK's medicines manufacturing facility in Ware is a strong endorsement of the UK's leadership in manufacturing and respiratory medicine."