The UK-based pharmaceutical company has committed to growing its US presence over the next five years through a new $30 billion deal.
GSK has announced a $30 billion investment in research and development in the US as part of a major five-year deal. The news comes as President Donald Trump heads to the UK for a historic second official state visit.
The British pharmaceutical company said the funding would support continued expansion and strengthening ties between the two countries in areas such as life sciences. Construction of a new biologics factory in Pennsylvania will begin next year, producing treatments for various respiratory diseases and cancers.
Around $1.2 billion will be dedicated to advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital technologies. The money will also help fund upgrades to GSK’s five American manufacturing sites, including those in North Carolina and Maryland.
London-based GSK is actively increasing its presence in the US, following recent threats from Trump to impose strict import tariffs on the industry. The White House has urged drugmakers to shift more production to the country as officials seek to boost domestic manufacturing.
GSK becomes the latest US pharma investor
GSK is the latest in a host of leading pharma firms to have either reduced spending in the UK or diverted it to the US. Last week, US pharma company Merck announced it would scrap plans for a £1 billion research centre in London.
Meanwhile, in July AstraZeneca revealed plans to invest $50 billion in US manufacturing and research capabilities by 2030. This followed a number of notable commitments from major industry players including Novartis, Sanofi, Roche, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson.
Roche has pledged to spend $50 billion, while Johnson & Johnson unveiled a $55 billion plan that includes bolstering its medtech business. Elsewhere, Sanofi and Novartis have each committed to spending at least $20 billion in the US by the end of the decade.
Reaction to GSK’s US investment plans
CEO at GSK, Emma Walmsley, welcomed the investment, stating how it represents an important step in delivering advanced medicines more efficiently. In a statement, she added that the deal will help to support long-term growth on both sides of the Atlantic.
“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,” she said. “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.”
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was also full of praise. He said: “This landmark investment will create tens of thousands of American jobs and ensure that critical medicines and technologies are developed and manufactured right here on US soil – where they belong.”
Lastly, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in the statement that the investment was a “powerful example of how UK-U.S. collaboration was driving real-world impact – improving people’s health, creating opportunity, and turbocharging growth.”
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