GSK announces launch of new research centre

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced the launch of a new research and development centre and the accompanying appointment of Jingwu Zang as senior vice-president to lead activities at the site.

Based in Shanghai, China, this new facility will focus its efforts on research into neurodegeneration, with the aim of developing new pharmaceutical products for a number of brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

The site will direct international discovery and development work in this therapeutic area, with the goal of becoming one of GSK’s key research and development centres, encompassing operations from candidate target identification to final stage clinical studies.

Moncef Slaoui, chairman of research and development at GSK, said: “Our initiative in China reflects our commitment to ally GSK with talented researchers wherever we can find them and to further encourage within [research and development] the contest of ideas needed to create new medicines.”

He added that the establishment of this site highlights the company’s commitment to meeting the challenges presented in the field of neuroscience, with the company consequently refocusing its UK-based efforts in this field to developing treatments for brain injury, epilepsy and pain.

In March 2007, GSK announced the formation of its Infectious Diseases Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, with Zhi Hong appointed as head of this unit.