Glaxo will invest £500m in factories and infrastructure, including the construction of a new factory in Cumbria.

The investments according to Glaxo ,will see the creation of 1,000 new jobs. The move will boost the UK pharmaceutical industry after the loss of US drug giant Pfizer, which closed its research facility in Kent, resulting in the loss of around 1,500 jobs

Glaxo has said that the investment represents “one of the largest commitments to the UK life-sciences sector in recent years".