Gilead Sciences to invest £13m in UK expansion
Will double its UK workforce to 600 by the end of this year
US biotechnology company Gilead Sciences will create a new UK commercial headquarters in London, and is expanding its international operations in Uxbridge, Middlesex and its research and development headquarters in Cambridge in an investment of £13m.
The move will double Gilead’s UK workforce by the end of the year to 600, with 400 based in London.
Mayor Boris Johnson announced the investment during a trade mission to America's East Coast aimed at strengthening economic ties between London and the US. It comes less than a year since he launched MedCity, which aims to position London and the South-East as a world-leading interconnected hub for R&D, manufacturing and commercialisation for the life sciences industry.
Johnson also announced that Boston company Mobiquity, which specialises in digital health, will also invest £13m over the next two years in a new London base. The company is currently working with Pfizer to deliver better patient outcomes by creating digital technologies that enable people to manage their own health.
Johnson said Gilead and Mobiquity’s moves to London 'further underline the growing importance of the life sciences industry in the UK as we look to ensure that this crucial sector becomes a key contributor to the capital’s growth and health'.