GSK's parting gifts to local community

GSK is making generous donations to local educational facilities in recognition of the community in which it has played a key role for nearly 100 years.

The donations are $50,000 to each of St Pat’s Primary School and Port Fairy Consolidated School and $25,000 to the Port Fairy Community Services Centre early years program. The organisations will be able to allocate the funds to their desired projects.

On 1 September GSK’s Opiates business transfers to the ownership of Sun Pharmaceuticals and its sites in Port Fairy in Victoria and Latrobe, Tasmania leave GSK.  This follows the announcement made in March this year that GSK had reached an agreement to sell the business including the related manufacturing sites.

The Port Fairy site dates back to the founding of the heritage Glaxo company in the 1920s and GSK established the Opiates business in the mid 1960s.  Since then, the business has grown to become a global leader in the industry, supplying close to 25 per cent of the total global demand for opiate raw materials.  The sites and people leaving GSK will be a major asset in Sun Pharmaceutical’s globally integrated controlled substances portfolio, and are joining a company with a global footprint in this area.

“We are very proud of our achievements, the work and dedication of our staff and the support of our local community,” said Darby Lee, GSK Site Director Port Fairy. “It gives me great pleasure to provide these funds to our local primary schools and early years program as a sign of appreciation from GSK to the local community that has supported the Port Fairy Site during its long history.”

Enquiries

Michelle Hindson 0409 017 426

Additional notes

 GlaxoSmithKline - is a global research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare company. Since 1886 we have delivered the highest quality medicines, vaccines and over-the-counter healthcare products to Australians while investing in local research and providing skilled jobs. For further information please visit www.au.gsk.com.

 GSK has two manufacturing facilities in Australia. Pharmaceutical products are manufactured in Boronia on the outskirts of Melbourne. It is one of GSK’s largest sterile facilities globally and includes two Relenza lines and innovative blow-fill-seal technology.

 The GSK site at Ermington, in north-western Sydney, manufactures consumer products.