Glaxo-Wellcome to pull out of research in UK

Glaxo-Wellcome, a major funder of many research projects at UK universities, has signal its intention to shift more of its funding to overseas institutions. The company currently supplies nearly a quarter of all medical research funding in the UK

The company blames the poor research facilities at some universities as reasons for the switch and particularly the research environments. A spokesman for the company explained that UK universities "lack the enviroment where you could get full results."

He went on to place Glaxo-Wellcome as "an internatonal organisation in an international industry." Thus, he concluded, Glaxo-Wellcome needed world-class research facilities. "We have to find our research science and technology in the best centres. Where we would hope that this would be in the United Kingdom, it is not a foregone conclusion" he said.

While it seems that many smaller universities may lose out, staff at Imperial College do not think that departments here will be affected by Glaxo Wellcome’s actions. Dr David Chapman, Finance Administrator for the Biochemistry Department, commented "I don’t think this will affect us as we have always had very close relatons with Glaxo-Wellcome, and a lot of our students have placements with them. They were also a significant contributor to the Ł2.1 million cryoelectron microscope that is to be installed here. We work to follow the College’s mission statement, and be a centre not just of national, but international excellence."