Pharma giant GSK says Montrose key to global operations

Montrose plays an important role for global biopharma company GSK.

The international business has a long history going back to the Plough Court Pharmacy in London in 1715.

In the centuries since, it has aimed to get ahead of the diseases that impact people’s health.

GSK’s legacy operations developed a variety of medicines and vaccines that helped to form the building blocks of today’s venture – a company that has grown from a handful of individual founders into a giant operation of 70,000 people.

The firm has been in Montrose since 1952 and celebrated the site’s 70th anniversary a couple of years ago.

Montrose ‘ideal’ location for GSK

When searching for a location for a new manufacturing facility, Montrose was ideal given it was flat.

There was room for future expansion and it was on the main train route to London for ease of transportation of goods as well as employees from the London-based headquarters.

GSK currently has around 400 staff based in Montrose and the site plays an important role as part of GSK’s global network of manufacturing sites.

Montrose supplies what’s known as active pharmaceutical ingredients or APIs, which are the main components of a medicine that make them work – in other words, the part of the medicine that is responsible for treating the condition or illness.

The company makes APIs at Montrose for areas such as HIV and respiratory conditions.

These APIs are supplied to other GSK manufacturing sites around the world, who formulate them into the finished medicines. From there, they’re distributed globally.

GSK Montrose didn’t stop for Covid

GSK said that, as for everyone, Covid brought new challenges, but given the nature of the work at the Montrose site, manufacture continued throughout the pandemic.

The group commented: “We’re incredibly proud of our colleagues who adapted and continued to deliver in these new circumstances.”

In recent years, there’s been significant investment in the Montrose site to support its cutting-edge manufacturing facilities.

For instance, the firm is in the middle of a £67 million upgrade project announced last year, and CEO Emma Walmsley opened a new, £54m facility in 2018.

Cammy Mitchell, GSK Montrose site director: “Every day, it’s estimated that over 20 million patients from across the globe take a medicine with an ingredient that is manufactured at GSK Montrose.

“We’ve got a proud 72-year history in the town and we look forward to continuing to deliver for patients in the future.”