The Mayor of London Boris Johnson reports that Gilead Sciences, will create a new UK commercial headquarters in Holborn, alongside expanding its international operations in Uxbridge and its UK research and development headquarters in Cambridge. The new London headquarters and expansions in Uxbridge and in Cambridge represent an increased investment of £13 million ($20 million) and a doubling of Gilead's UK workforce by the end of 2015 to 600, with 400 based in London.

The investment is part of MedCity, an initiative launched by the mayor of London with the capital's three academic health science centers (Imperial College Academic Health Center, King's Health Partners, and UCL Partners) last year to support international companies and home-grown entrepreneurs to do business in London and the greater southeast of England. Activities include promoting life sciences within the investment community by building a community of angel investors and partnering with the London Stock Exchange to engage generalist brokers and investors.

Some recent US pharmaceutical investment in London include: a £42 million ($65 million) investment by Merck in November 2014 to create a new London licensing hub, expand research in Hertfordshire, southeast England, and fund clinical research in oncology and dementia; a new Gene Therapy Unit in London by Pfizer focused on rare diseases, to be led by King's College London's Professor Michael Linden, announced in December 2014; and the establishment of the J&J Innovation Center London in 2013 to accelerate early-stage science and develop new healthcare solutions.

Source: Mayor of London