GSK invests 150m euros in clinical laboratory in Walloon Brabant
British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which already has a significant presence in Wallonia, is investing 150 million euros in a state-of-the-art clinical laboratory in Rixensart, in Walloon Brabant province. The company says the investment is aimed at accelerating the development of the vaccines of the future.
The new facility will cover 6,000 square metres and consolidate clinical laboratory activities currently spread across eight buildings. It will employ 300 people in a clinically clean and highly secure environment, and is expected to be fully operational by next year.
The laboratory will analyse thousands of samples from clinical trials conducted worldwide. Some samples require dozens of tests, depending on the type of vaccine. GSK is working on various vaccine candidates, including those against seasonal flu and COVID-19 as well as bacterial infections caused by pneumococci and group A streptococci.
"This lab, with its state-of-the-art equipment, automation, digital technologies and the expertise of our teams, will generate clinical data that is essential for the registration of candidate vaccines," said Philippe Denoël, head of the Rixensart site and vice president of External R&D at GSK. "In particular, the data collected must demonstrate that future vaccines are safe and effective."
Pandemic preparedness
By consolidating its research under one roof, GSK aims to speed up processes, deliver results more quickly and improve traceability. The infrastructure has also been designed with pandemic preparedness in mind: during the COVID-19 crisis, GSK worked with the authorities to carry out PCR testing, and the company says a similar partnership could be activated in the event of a future outbreak.
Prime minister Bart De Wever attended Tuesday's announcement, describing the project as "a major step forward in the fight against disease" and expressing confidence that the investment would strengthen Belgium's position as a "pharma valley."
GSK already employs 8,500 people in Belgium and supplies an average of one million vaccines per day, exported to 160 countries. The company is Belgium's largest pharmaceutical firm and the largest private employer in Wallonia.
© BELGA PHOTO POOL ERIC LALMAND
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