Gilead Sciences to create new premises in London

Gilead Sciences has announced that it will be expanding its presence in the UK with a series of new investments and development projects in the south-east of England.

The company will be creating new UK commercial headquarters in Holborn, while also expanding its international operations in Uxbridge and UK research and development base in Cambridge.

Altogether, these projects will see Gilead increases its investment in the region by 13 million pounds, while doubling the size of its UK workforce by the end of 2015 to 600, with 400 of these employees to be based in London.

By locating its operations in the capital, the company will be able to foster closer partnerships with clinicians, patient groups and NHS and government organisations.

Dr Eliot Forster, executive chair of the local MedCity project, said: "London and the south-east is in the midst of a sustained period of enormous ambition and investment in life sciences, and that is attracting great people and companies who enrich our ecosystem further."

Gilead is a Fortune 500 US biotechnology company that was able to more than double its annual sales total last year, thanks to the recent strong performance of its antivirals business.