Drugs giant GSK is set to move its global headquarters back to central London, ending more than two decades at its Brentford base.

Around 3,000 employees will work from The Earnshaw building on the corner of New Oxford Street from Tuesday.

It marks the end of its time at the Brentford site in west London after the £315 million building was officially opened in 2002 by then prime minister Tony Blair.

GSK’s new HQ will house the firm’s leadership team – headed by chief executive Dame Emma Walmsley – as well as units supporting research and development, supply chain, commercial operations, corporate functions and its ViiV Healthcare specialist HIV joint venture.

It sees GSK return to central London, where the company traces its roots back to the Plough Court Pharmacy, founded in the City in 1715.

GSK said on announcing the new global HQ in December 2022 that the six-floor building would be designed with hybrid working in mind, including technology to support remote working, while also aiming to be energy efficient to help meet the firm’s 2030 net zero goals.

Dame Emma said at the time: “We are proud to call London our home and look forward to the opportunities for even closer collaboration with the city’s world-class science, academic and healthcare institutions.”

Glass doors with GSK branding
GSK moves into its new global HQ from Tuesday (Lucy North/PA)

It agreed the sale of its site at 980 Great West Road, Brentford, in 2021 to London-based regeneration specialist Hadley.

GSK recently flagged its decision to move the global HQ in London as a sign of its commitment to Britain and a UK listing, at a time when the London Stock Exchange is under pressure from a raft of firms defecting overseas.

Dame Emma told the Times CEO Summit last month that the group was “unequivocally, 100% committed” to retaining its listing in Britain, despite the UK only accounting for 3% of its business.