GSK pledges $30bn US investment as UK’s pharma woes deepen

British pharmaceutical firm GSK has pledged to invest $30bn (£22bn) in research and manufacturing in the US over the next five years.

Announced at the start of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK, the money will fund the development of next-generation factories, artificial intelligence (AI) and research labs in the US, said GSK.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the investment was a “powerful example” of collaboration between the countries and would create new jobs and boost drug development.

The move comes as drugmakers face pressure from the Trump administration to move production to the US.

GSK said in a statement that $1.2bn would be allocated to build a new factory in Pennsylvania to develop medicines for respiratory diseases and cancer. Construction is planned to start next year.

The money will also fund new AI and digital technology tools across GSK’s five American manufacturing sites, including those in North Carolina and Maryland.

The rest of the $30bn investment will support GSK’s supply chain and drug research efforts, the company said.

Chief executive Emma Walmsley said GSK plans to keep investing in its UK manufacturing base and will continue spending over £1.5bn yearly on research and development from the country.

GSK is the latest pharma firm to have either reduced spending in the UK or diverted it to the US, which has threatened tariffs as steep as 250% on pharmaceutical imports.

Threats to the sector have caused major disruption, with drugmakers pausing or cancelling nearly £2bn in planned investments in Britain this year.

Last week, US pharmaceutical company Merck – known as MSD in Europe – announced it would scrap its £1bn London research centre. Shortly after, AstraZeneca halted its planned £200m expansion of its research facilities in Cambridge.