GSK on 5 July 2019, opens new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Singapore following an S$130m investment. The new facilities are located in GSK’s Jurong site and include two continuous manufacturing facilities and an expansion of one of the site’s production buildings. The developments will enable the site, a leading facility within GSK’s pharmaceutical supply chain, to accelerate the supply of new breakthrough medicines to patients globally.

One of the new continuous manufacturing facilities is part of Jurong’s R&D Pilot Plant and will strengthen the site’s capability in drug manufacture by allowing faster production of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) for clinical trials. The first New Chemical Entity (NCE) to be developed at the new facility will be Daprodustat, a new oral treatment for anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. The new manufacturing process is expected to reduce the production time of Daprodustat, enabling faster access to this medicine for patients globally.

The expansion of the production building which makes APIs for HIV medicines will strengthen GSK’s capability to produce Dolutegravir, a key GSK asset for HIV treatment. The investment has enabled the renewal of critical infrastructure in the production building and has allowed GSK to test and develop digital technologies in the manufacturing process to drive productivity improvement.

The investment demonstrates GSK’s commitment to Singapore as a key manufacturing and supply site for GSK’s global pharmaceutical business and a testbed for advanced manufacturing technology. The investment behind the new facilities is part of the GSK-EDB 10-year Singapore Manufacturing Roadmap.

Regis Simard, President Pharmaceuticals Supply Chain, GSK said, “As one of the most innovative cities in the world, Singapore is home to an ecosystem of companies and organisations that are creating and exporting innovative solutions. Innovation is at the heart of GSK, we are glad to invest in scientific and technical excellence in Singapore to develop and launch the next generation of products which meet the needs of patients, payers and consumers.” 

Lim Hock Heng, Vice President & Site Director, Pharmaceuticals Supply Chain Singapore, GSK said, “Advanced manufacturing systems are pivotal for GSK to stay at the forefront of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Further investment in digital manufacturing operations and processes will allow GSK to ensure efficient and high-quality production of our medicines.”

Chng Kai Fong, Managing Director, EDB said, “Over the years, GSK has continually partnered with Singapore to develop advanced manufacturing technologies, such as continuous manufacturing and digital manufacturing. They have also been a strong partner in training our local talent. These efforts have supported the growth of the industry as a whole and in turn, has created diverse and attractive job opportunities for Singapore.”