Skin Science Facility to Close in Rowville, Victoria

GSK announced today the immediate closure of the Stiefel, skin science facility in Rowville, Victoria.

This move will affect 22 employees and follows the decision to develop a new centre of excellence in topical formulation at Stiefel R&D in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. This site is already the home of Stiefel R&D, employing over 120 specialist scientists.

Geoff McDonald, General Manager Pharmaceuticals GSK Australia said, “GSK acquired the Stiefel company globally in 2009 and we remain committed to bringing innovative skin products to Australian consumers. While a loss to Australian scientific development, the consolidation of skin R&D at this established facility will increase productivity and boost innovation capability in dermatology and skin health.

“At the moment we are working with impacted employees, many having been with the facility for a number of years, and we will support them through this transition.

“Business choices such as these are never easy but the operating environment in Australia continues to be challenging, especially in R&D and GSK must continuously review operations globally and organize our resources to improve effectiveness to stimulate innovation” he said.

Kathy Rouan, head of Global Stiefel R&D said “Decisions like this are always difficult and I want to sincerely thank all of the members of the Stiefel research team in Australia for their valuable contributions past and present.

“Co-location in North Carolina will enable teams to collaborate much more effectively on topical formulation development and analysis in both prescription and consumer skincare, as well as giving us more operational flexibility and reducing cycle-time for testing early formulations,” she said.

The Stiefel research facility in Rowville, currently develops early formulation prototypes for new chemical entities (NCEs) for dermatology medicines. This work will transfer to North Carolina and the building will be sold.

Stiefel is committed to advancing innovation in dermatology, so that more people can discover and enjoy healthy skin. A world leader in skin care, Stiefel offers a range of well-known and proven pharmaceutical and consumer products. Stiefel is a GSK company. To learn more about Stiefel, please visit www.stiefel.com.

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