Staff at GSK Ulverston threw a party to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the production of the antibiotic Zinnat, which is made at the site and used by healthcare professionals around the world to help patients recover from a wide range of serious infections.

It is estimated that since its launch Zinnat has been used to treat over one billion patients globally and each week is used to treat a million more.

A cake decorated as an oversized Zinnat tablet was the centrepiece of the celebrations, which included a series of congratulatory presentations to staff from senior leaders and a quiz on highlights of 1985, the year the product was first made at the Cumbrian factory.

Ulverston staff heard Gavin Newby, Head of GSK’s Classic and Established Products Europe, describe Zinnat as a key brand for the company.

“Despite being three decades old the product continues to grow and is forecast to continue doing so,” said Mr Newby.

As well as helping millions of people recover from serious infections, revenue from Zinnat supports GSK’s research and development of new medicines across its portfolio including respiratory, vaccines, HIV and biopharmaceuticals.”

Mr Newby paid tribute to Ulverston’s significant contribution to the product’s success over the three decades.