GSK to shut down Medicines Research Unit

GSK Australia has moved to shut down its Medicines Research Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney.

The unit will cease operations at the end of the month and be decommissioned over the next few months. The closure will impact eight full-time employees and five contractors, the company said in a statement.

GSK general manager for pharmaceuticals Geoffrey McDonald said the decision to shut the facility was necessitated by changes to the global R&D landscape and, subsequently, to GSK’s business model.

“Sustainable research and development means we need to continually monitor and maximise our return on investment. Business decisions such as this are not made lightly or without extensive thought to all options available,” he said.

“Our priorities at this time are for the welfare of our employees, and we will do everything we can to support them as they find alternative employment.”

He said the company will continue to conduct Australian clinical trials from its office in Melbourne following the closure.

The Medicines Research Unit has been operating since 1999 and has conducted more than 130 pharmacology studies over this time.