GlaxoSmithKline has acquired a vaccine research and production facility in Marietta, Pennsylvania. This acquisition adds to the company's growing vaccines presence in the United States, following GSK's recent purchase of Corixa Corporation, a developer of innovative vaccine adjuvants that increase immune response, said a release here.

The 90-acre manufacturing site in Marietta, PA, previously owned by Wyeth, will be used to help develop the next generation of vaccines for GlaxoSmithKline. The Marietta site also will focus on the development and production of tissue culture technology that will be used for seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines.

GSK expects to use the Marietta site for the secondary production of several new vaccines for distribution in the US market, following their approval by the FDA. The site has freeze-drying capabilities that will be used to enhance the shelf-life and stability of a number of the company's vaccines.

Once a new flu vaccine based on tissue culture is successfully developed by GSK, the company plans to make further investments at the Marietta plant. GSK expects to employ approximately 270 people at the Marietta site, said the release.

"GlaxoSmithKline can help boost the availability of vaccines for Americans in the future by growing our research and manufacturing capacity in Pennsylvania and the United States today," JP Garnier, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline said adding, "We are working hand-in-hand with government officials to help meet public health needs by expanding our capabilities as a reliable supplier of vaccines for the US."