GSK Invests $139M to Boost Lupus Drug Capacity

Expansion of Rockville plant lets the company boost bulk production of substance used in Benlysta and other drugs by about 50 percent

May 2, 2017

GlaxoSmithKline has invested $139 million to expand its Rockville, Maryland, manufacturing site. GSK is hoping to meet an increased demand for its lupus drug Benlysta as the expansion would allow the company to boost production of a substance used in several of its drugs, including Benlysta, by about 50 percent. The expansion is not expected to create any new full-time jobs.

GSK is expecting a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its self-injectable Benlysta in the second half of 2017, which will complement its intravenous version that has reached a reported $377 million in U.S. sales in 2016.

Read the Washington Business Journal report