Glaxo to double China R&D staff in few years

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drugmaker, plans to double its research and development staff in China to 350 people in the next few years, an executive said on Tuesday.

The company currently employs 170 R&D staff in China and plans to boost that to 200 by the end of this year and to 350 within another year or so after that, said Carol Zhu, head of operation management and alliances in Glaxo's China research and development unit. She added that staff levels would remain fixed for three or four years after the increase, while the company will expand its facilities to acommodate further increases thereafter.

Glaxo's (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) head of research told Reuters last year that China was set to become the new crucible of the global biotechnology industry, in the way that California was 30 years ago, and was key to its plans to step up its investment in biotech medicines.

Other major drug companies with a research presence in China include Novartis AG (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Pfizer Inc (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Roche Holding Ltd (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research).