GSK’s £1.9bn ‘blockbuster’

Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline boosted its pipeline of drugs 
yesterday with a £1.9 billion deal for its American partner on a 
potential blockbuster medicine.

The proposed acquisition of Human Genome Sciences (HGS) means it has secured the full rights for Benlysta, the first new drug to be approved to treat immune system disease lupus in the US for more than 50 years.

The group finally gained boardroom support after HGS directors dismissed a previous offer as inadequate and launched an unsuccessful hunt for an alternative buyer.

Buying the biotechnology company will help GSK further bolster its pipeline of new drugs at a time when the pharmaceutical industry is facing large numbers of patent expiries, leaving products open to being copied by rivals.