A DRUGS company, which employs about 1,000 North-East workers, says it aims to return £4bn to shareholders as it continues work on an Ebola treatment.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) revealed the plans during a third quarter results announcement, which showed sales were ten per cent lower at £5.7bn from a year ago.

Bosses said the fall was due to contract issues affecting US sales of its asthma treatment Advair.

The company operates a plant at Barnard Castle, County Durham, which is the headquarters of its skin division and includes a £20m dermatology centre of excellence.

The firm is also working closely with the World Health Organisation and regulators to fight the Ebola outbreak by developing a vaccine.

However, bosses told The Northern Echo the County Durham site is not playing a role in that work.

Andrew Witty, chief executive, said: “We are strongly committed to delivering returns to shareholders through dividend payments and plan to return £4bn in 2015.

“We are also working hard to develop a potential Ebola vaccine.

“This is still at an early stage, but we are grateful for the support of all our partners.”

Mr Witty added GSK was exploring the possible flotation of ViiV Healthcare, a division focusing on HIV treatment.

Last month, GSK was fined £297m by Chinese regulators after a court found it guilty of bribery, following allegations it paid out bribes to doctors and hospitals in order to have their products promoted.

The company’s Barnard Castle factory also makes antibiotics and liquid fillings for injections and nasal sprays, and previously produced about 130 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine to treat swine flu.