GSK celebrates its scientific contribution to 2012 Olympics

British Olympic Gold medallist Rebecca Romero has unveiled the biggest 2012 logo on the side of GlaxoSmithKline's headquarters in London.

The 41m wide sign on GSK's building next to the M4 and A4 in Brentford, Middlesex will welcome millions of people to London as they travel into the capital from Heathrow Airport and the West of England.

More than 78,000 people will see the sign every day as they drive in and out of London, which is more than 0.5 million a week, two million a month, and up to 26 million in the year leading up to the Olympic Games.

The sign celebrates GSK's role in helping organisers ensure the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the cleanest games.

As Official Laboratory Services Provider for London 2012, GSK has formed a partnership with King's College London to operate a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory during the Games. Over the course of the event the laboratory will oversee 6,250 drug tests – the most ever at an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

GSK chief executive, Andrew Witty, said: ‘As the UK's largest pharmaceutical company, we will bring our expertise to running a world class laboratory that will carry out more anti-doping tests than ever before at an Olympics, making London 2012 the cleanest possible Games.’

Romero, a Team GB cyclist, said: ‘It is a pleasure to unveil a sign that celebrates the contribution that science will make to London 2012 through ensuring it is the cleanest Games possible. Going through anti-doping tests is all part of being an athlete and knowing the measures that are in place to ensure that the London 2012 Games are competed in fairly gives me great peace of mind as I prepare.’

Sebastian Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, added: ‘Science will play a crucial part in the London 2012 Games, from the training and nutrition programmes which keep the athletes at peak performance to the anti-doping tests which will help to make the Games as clean as possible.’