GSK flags limited UK role impact in restructuring

GSK expects its ongoing global restructuring to have some limited impact on roles in the U.K., according to executives cited by Fierce Biotech. CEO Luke Miels said during a third-quarter earnings call that the U.K. changes would mainly concern support functions at the company’s headquarters.

The restructuring is part of GSK’s accelerating growth strategy, which the company said is intended to reallocate resources and capital toward its pipeline. Miels said GSK’s priority is to direct resources toward laboratories, physician engagement and manufacturing.

UK changes focus on support functions

According to Fierce Biotech, Miels characterized the expected U.K. impact as relatively limited. GSK moved its headquarters from Brentford to New Oxford Street in 2024, where 3,000 staffers were able to work through a hybrid model.

GSK has not detailed which other regions or business areas will be affected by the broader restructuring, the publication reported. The company has said it wants to move resources behind late-stage assets that are more likely to reach patients.

Broader program includes Belgium risk notice

The first major action under the global strategy came in Belgium, where GSK confirmed that up to 1,217 employees are at risk of losing their jobs across R&D, manufacturing and support functions, according to Fierce Biotech. Belgium has three main sites supporting GSK’s vaccines business.

Fierce Biotech reported that vaccine supply-chain overcapacity in Belgium is part of the reason behind those changes. The company’s strategy seeks 1.9 billion pounds in annual cost savings by 2029.

Pipeline resources remain central

GSK has linked the resource reallocation to a target of 22 phase 3 starts by the end of 2026, more than double its original goal of 10 late-stage trial launches, according to Miels. The company’s planned late-stage work includes studies involving partnered antibody-drug conjugates and a partnered respiratory disease therapy.

Separately, GSK’s earnings presentation showed that two phase 1 candidates were dropped from the pipeline, Fierce Biotech reported. They included GSK5458514, a PSMAxCD3 T cell-engaging bispecific antibody evaluated in prostate cancer, and VH4527079, an HIV entry inhibitor developed by ViiV Healthcare. The database listed the latter trial as terminated for business reasons.