GSK outlines $30bn, five-year plan for R&D and manufacturing in the US
The company’s investment strategy will also encompass AI, digital technology and supply chain infrastructure.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has outlined a five-year strategy for new R&D, manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure in the US that will see it invest at least $30 billion and create hundreds of jobs.
The announcement coincides with US President Donald Trump’s State Visit to the UK and GSK was keen to highlight the two countries’ ties in science and medicine.
CEO Emma Walmsley said: “Alongside the many longstanding and vital shared interests that connect the UK and the United States, is advancing life sciences to get ahead of disease.
“This week’s State Visit brings together two countries that have led the world in science and healthcare innovation. We are proud to be part of both.”
The company also noted that its “new facilities will bridge R&D and manufacturing across both the US and UK, strengthening the two countries’ leadership in life sciences”.
Detail on exactly how it will do that were not readily apparent, but it will be a welcome note of confidence in the country after a tumultuous past few days for UK science.
The last week has seen Merck & Co walk away from its planned $1.3bn London headquarters and R&D centre, and AstraZeneca and Lilly press pause to reassess their own UK investments.
GSK’s US R&D and manufacturing investment plans
GSK’s US investment plans will include an initial $1.2 billion for manufacturing facilities, AI and advanced digital technologies to help the company create “new, next-generation” biopharma factories and laboratories.
One such facility will be added to the company’s existing Upper Merion, Pennsylvania site, where a new biologics ‘flex’ factory will be built to focus in respiratory disease on COPD and asthma medicines as well as on haematological, gynaecological, lung and other solid tumour cancer drugs.
The $1.2 billion investment will also cover adding AI and other digital technologies to five of the firm’s existing manufacturing sites across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland and Montana. That money will additionally go towards new drug substance manufacturing capabilities and new and enhanced device and auto-injector capabilities and assembly.
Although the company began construction of an $800 million Marietta manufacturing facility in October 2024, GSK had until now been noticeably absent among the investment announcements made this year by its pharma peers. To date 2025 has seen a regular flow of US pledges from companies such as J&J, Lilly, Gilead, AbbVie, Amgen and UCB as President Trump ramped up pressure on the industry to increase its stateside operations.
For its part, GSK’s total new investment plan will also span capital injections for its US supply chain and R&D activities across drug discovery, drug development and clinical trials, with the US set to become its most important location for the latter over the next five years.
