GSK invests $139 million in Benlysta manufacturing facility

Britain's largest pharma company GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) is investing $139 million in its biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Maryland, USA, to support growing demand for Benlysta (belimumab).

The biologic, a human monoclonal antibody, is approved in an intravenous formulation as a treatment for adult patients with SLE, a certain kind of lupus, who are receiving standard therapy.

A self-injectable, subcutaneous formulation is currently being reviewed by regulators in the USA and Europe, with a decision expected later this year.