GSK plc’s chief executive officer said the UK drugmaker is ready to partner with the new Labour government on research and development (R&D) as it seeks to boost Britain’s standing as an innovation hub.

Emma Walmsley said she has “huge empathy” for new Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who also faces the challenge of fixing the country’s beleaguered National Health Service (NHS).

The GSK chief said she’s optimistic about Streeting’s calls to prioritise the NHS’s patients and its workforce, while also saying “this is a country that wants to lead the way in terms of scientific innovation and investment in R&D and we certainly stand ready to partner with that.”

Walmsley spoke in an interview with Bloomberg Television, in which she said the UK is leading the way on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which the pharmaceutical company pledged £45 million to work on in a partnership with Imperial College London known as the Fleming Initiative.

Walmsley said tackling AMR is not only about products but also policy, where she said the UK has been playing a leading role. The GSK chief pointed to programmes like a subscription model under which pharma companies are paid a flat fee for innovations that could save lives in a resistant environment.

  - Bloomberg