GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened a £56 million ($81 million), 4,500-square meter manufacturing facility in Ware, Hertfordshire, the UK, to produce respiratory medicines delivered by the Ellipta multi-dose dry powder inhaler. It is the latest expansion for Ellipta manufacturing at Ware, with investment totaling over £100 million ($144 million) over the past five years. The new facility will nearly double production of Ellipta inhalers at Ware to at least 37 million per year by 2017, 95% of which will be exported.

The £56 million ($81 million) manufacturing facility forms part of the investments in Ellipta manufacturing at Ware that were announced in 2012 and 2013. GSK has been producing at its facility in Ware since 1969. It is GSK's lead manufacturing site for new product introduction and has launched seven new medicines in the past four years. In total, GSK employs over 2000 people across manufacturing and R&D facilities in Ware. Since 2013, over 400 roles will have been created at the manufacturing site in Ware, bringing staff numbers to more than 1200. This includes over 30 apprentice and 50 graduate roles and an additional 150 jobs with the new facility.

GSK has nine manufacturing sites in the UK, four sites making active ingredients, three sites making finished medicine products, and two consumer healthcare sites. In total, products to the value of approximately £2 billion ($2.9 billion) are made at manufacturing sites in the UK each year.

Source: GlaxoSmithKline