GSK to invest up to $800m in Pennsylvania site expansion

Biopharmaceutical giant GSK announced a site expansion at its Marietta, Pennsylvania site, where it will build a multipurpose manufacturing facility to produce sterile liquid vaccines and other medicines. In addition to GSK’s investment of up to $800 million, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced a state investment of $21 million, which he said would help enable GSK’s Marietta facility to double its size and capacity. The firm’s manufacturing process will be based upon its multiple antigen presenting system (MAPS) technology.

“This is a big day for life sciences in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said from outside the fenced-off construction site in Marietta. He praised the relationship between GSK and the state of Pennsylvania, pointing out the economic impact of the company’s US headquarters in Philadelphia while revealing that the expansion is the largest commonwealth supported economic project in the history of Lancaster County. “One out of every four Americans receive a vaccine that is produced right here in Marietta.”

The Marietta site is one of two GSK manufacturing locations in Pennsylvania, with the other located in Upper Merion, where GSK opened a $120 million drug substance plant in 2019. The company employs 4,600 people in the state and has invested $1.3 billion since 2017 in improving its manufacturing capabilities in the state.

Maya Martinez-Davis, president of US GSK, said that construction of the new facility will start next week. “Our goal is to have this operational by 2028.”

“This landmark investment will establish Marietta as an innovation and manufacturing hub capable of delivering next generation medicines and vaccines to people around the world,” said Regis Simard, president global supply chain at GSK.

“We know the importance and impact of prevention,” said Martinez-Davis. “And when we unite science and technology with the amazing communities that we’re in and the work force that we have here, we can change the course of disease together.”