A DRUGS firm will create jobs in a £275m expansion that bosses say proves their commitment to the UK after the Brexit vote.

GlaxoSmithKline is strengthening its factory at Barnard Castle, County Durham.

The company says it will spend £92m on the plant to fit equipment used for producing vials and syringes of liquid-based products.

The firm, which employs more than 1,000 people in the region, added the move should create new posts, but told The Northern Echo it was unable to reveal specific numbers at this stage.

Officials are also spending £110m on a plant in Montrose, Scotland, to make ingredients for respiratory treatment, and £74m in Hertfordshire to increase asthma inhaler work.

Alastair Leighton, Barnard Castle’s site director, said the investment will secure the County Durham plant’s long-term future and reassure workers over their jobs.

He said: “The new aseptic facility is a very important development.

“It gives us the ability to support the development and launch of a strong pipeline of innovative liquid medicines for a wide range of therapeutic areas.

“This investment secures a home here at Barnard Castle for aseptic liquid biopharmaceuticals for many years to come.”

The outlay marks a significant U-turn for GlaxoSmithKline chief executive, Sir Andrew Witty, who previously called on Britain to remain in the EU.

However, upon announcing the £275m plans, Sir Andrew said the UK remains an attractive proposition, despite the Brexit vote, highlighting its skilled workforce, life sciences repute and lower taxes.

He added: “This will meet growing demand for our products and many of these medicines will be sent to patients around the world.

“The UK is an attractive location for investment due to a number of factors, including technological and scientific infrastructure and a competitive corporate tax system.

“This includes the Patent Box, which delivers a lower rate of corporation tax on profits generated from UK-owned intellectual property.”

Sir Andrew was speaking on the same day GlaxoSmithKline’s latest financial results showed greater demand for its HIV and respiratory products had pushed group revenues up to £6.5bn in the second quarter of the year.

Earlier this year, The Northern Echo exclusively revealed GlaxoSmithKline’s Barnard Castle plant would lead the fight to cut newborn baby deaths.

The site is spearheading the development of Umbipro gel, which bosses say has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives by preventing umbilical cord-related fatalities in Africa and Asia.

Using the antiseptic chlorhexidine, which is already used in its Corsodyl mouthwash, the company expects to make at least six million gel sachets in the region, working alongside the Save the Children charity as a not-for-profit endeavour.

Officials say the gel will replace practices and traditions when the umbilical cord is cut, including placing ash and dung on wounds to encourage healing.