GSK Announces US Vaccine R&D Center

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on April 2, 2015 that it would expand its global vaccines production capabilities with a new facility in Rockville, MD, USA. This will be the third GSK global vaccines R&D center, in addition to the company’s existing facilities in Rixensart, Belgium and Siena, Italy (a site acquired from Novartis in March 2015).

According to a press release, GSK’s other US facilities conducting vaccine R&D, including the Philadelphia, PA and Cambridge, MA sites, will be consolidated to the Rockville location. The announcement of the new location follows the March 2015 close of the three-part transaction between Novartis and GSK. In April 2014, Novartis and GSK announced that they would trade assets, resulting in the Novartis acquisition of GSK’s oncology business, and GSK’s acquisition of Novartis’ vaccine business.

“Following the acquisition of Novartis’s global vaccines business and in recognition of the vaccines knowledge and expertise in the United States, we are pleased to expand our US presence with the creation of a world-class vaccines R&D center. This will drive innovation, and enhance our capabilities for new vaccine discoveries that protect the US and public health around the world,” said Luc Debruyne, president of GSK Vaccines, in a press release.

Source: GSK