British GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which already has a significant presence in Wallonia, Belgium is investing 150 million euros in a state-of-the-art clinical laboratory in Rixensart, in Walloon Brabant. With this investment, the pharmaceutical company aims to accelerate the development of ‘vaccines of the future’.
The facility will have a surface area of 6,000 square meters. It will consolidate clinical laboratory activities, which are currently spread across eight buildings. 300 people will start working in the new laboratory, in a clinically clean and highly secure environment. The laboratory is expected to be fully operational by next year.
Thousands of samples from clinical trials conducted worldwide will be analyzed. Some of these samples require dozens of tests, depending on the type of vaccine. "This laboratory, with its state-of-the-art equipment, automation, digital technologies, and the expertise of our teams, will generate clinical data that are essential for the registration of candidate vaccines," explains Philippe Denoël, Head of the Rixensart site and Vice President of External R&D at GSK. "In particular, the collected data must demonstrate that future vaccines are safe and effective."
GSK already employs 8,500 people in Belgium. The company supplies an average of 1 million vaccines per day, which are exported to 160 countries. This makes GSK the largest pharmaceutical company in Belgium and the largest private employer in Wallonia.
Bron: De specialist