GSK celebrated the groundbreaking of its S$343 million state-of-the-art vaccines facility at Tuas which will manufacture drug substances for GSK’s vaccines that protect against Hepatitis B. This expansion of the existing GSK facility at Tuas will start construction in the third quarter of 2023, with completion targeted by 2025. The site will commence commercial production in 2027. Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, was the guest of honour at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The growing manufacturing footprint of global biopharmaceutical players in Singapore is a testament to the long-term prospects of the sector. GSK’s latest investment is a strong show of confidence in Singapore’s world-class infrastructure and skilled workforce for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. In addition to efforts in developing manufacturing leaders in Singapore, GSK has also been a steadfast partner to our research ecosystem. With its focus on advanced manufacturing and sustainability, the expanded GSK Tuas facility will provide exciting opportunities for our local talent and institutes to shape the future of vaccine production,” said Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board.

Speaking at the event, Regis Simard, President, Global Supply Chain of GSK, said “GSK’s additional investment in Tuas underlines the company’s commitment to investing in Singapore, reinforcing its strong presence in the country for over 60 years. GSK has robust medicines and vaccines operations and a considerable manufacturing footprint in the country, housing three manufacturing sites in Jurong, Quality Road and Tuas. The expanded facility will solidify the positive contribution that GSK Tuas makes to global public health, helping us achieve our purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.”

The GSK Tuas site, opened in 2009, is the first vaccines manufacturing plant in Singapore. The site’s Hepatitis B facility expansion will produce and supply worldwide drug substances for GSK’s Hepatitis B vaccines. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 820,000 deaths globally in 2019, with 1.5 million new infections each year. By 2030, WHO aims to reduce the number of new Hepatitis B infections by 90 per cent, with vaccination being at the core of its strategy.

This facility expansion will add about 100 jobs in fields that include production, quality assurance, quality control, Manufacturing Science and Technology (MSAT), technical services, learning and development as well as operational excellence. Advanced technology will be deployed at the site, like process analytical technology (PAT) and process digital twins that will innovate how we control the manufacturing process to ensure consistent product quality and output.

To accelerate achieving GSK’s ambition of Carbon Net Zero by 2030, the facility expansion has, among other sustainability features, renewable energy generation, process improvements, and energy-efficient Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The new facility is designed to have a total annual energy savings of about 800 Megawatt-hour that equals reduction of an estimated 300 tons of carbon dioxide emission. This is equivalent to powering about 200 four-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flats for one year.

The facility expansion reinforces the GSK Tuas site as an important part of GSK’s manufacturing footprint in Singapore. It will produce drug substances for Hepatitis B vaccines in addition to the site’s current production of drug substances for GSK’s polysaccharide conjugate vaccines and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines. These vaccines protect against invasive diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis.

Siong Wan Chan, Site Director, Tuas Singapore, Global Supply Chain of GSK, said “Over the years, our dedicated and passionate GSK Tuas people have been producing vaccines that protect many people against infectious diseases. This facility expansion investment will allow the GSK Tuas site to positively impact the health of even more people around the world, united by our shared purpose to get ahead of disease together.”