RAPID expansion plans for a world-leading science giant will create 200 new jobs in Swindon.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is growing several sites around the globe to increase its work on sterile drug product development and commercially manufacturing critical medicines, therapies and vaccines.

The move is driven by increased demand for injectable sterile pharmaceutical drugs, which made up 46 per cent of the dosage forms securing FDA approval in America in 2019 (compared to 25 per cent a decade ago).

The Swindon section of the plan is scheduled to be completed in early 2021.

Senior vice president of the company and president of its pharma services department Mike Shafer said: "We have continued to invest strategically in capacity, technology and expertise across our global network so we can accelerate innovation and enhance productivity for our customers.

“This has enabled us to respond quickly and support our customers with unprecedented scale and depth of capabilities to meet high demand for new therapies and vaccines.

"By simplifying the supply chain and solving complex manufacturing challenges, we shorten development timelines in order to get high-quality medicines to patients, faster.”

As well as the Swindon site, Thermo Fisher is expanding offices in Ferentino and Monza in Italy as well as Greenville, in the US state of North Carolina,

In total, these investments will add 15 development and commercial production lines. The company's annual revenue exceeds $25 billion as its 75,000 employees help customers make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

It works with clients which are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in laboratories.

These projects are expected to be completed over the next two years and will create approximately 1,000 jobs altogether.

Plus, the company announced a new sterile manufacturing facility in Singapore and a new integrated biologics and sterile drug development and manufacturing site in Hangzhou, China.

Mr Shafer added: "With these investments, we’ve nearly doubled our global footprint for drug development and commercial manufacturing, which allows us to support our customers with unmatched flexibility, expertise and scale at a time of unprecedented demand."