Haleon invests in global R&D footprint to drive future innovation

• $54m investment in global R&D centre of excellence in Richmond, Virginia, USA
• Investment is in addition to the company’s c.£300m annual spend in R&D
• Upgraded facility will support 170+ markets and will focus on OTC & VMS categories

Haleon, a global leader in consumer health, is boosting its global R&D capabilities and focussing on accelerating its new product innovation pipeline by investing $54 million in its global R&D centre of excellence in Richmond, US. This investment is in addition to the company’s c.£300 million annual spend in R&D. This latest investment in Haleon’s global R&D footprint demonstrates its commitment to delivering 

As one of Haleon’s three global R&D centres of excellence - alongside Weybridge, UK and Suzhou, China - the Richmond facility provides the global scale for Haleon to deliver disruptive and locally relevant brand innovations across over 170 markets worldwide.

The modernised site will enable the company to accommodate innovative technologies and expand its research capabilities. With the investment focused on new, state-of-the-art laboratories, the purpose of the upgraded facility will be to develop innovations across ingredients, formulations, flavours, formats and packaging for Haleon’s Over-the-Counter (OTC) and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS) categories. Over time, this will underpin further consumer appeal and penetration for a wide array of Haleon’s brands, including Advil, Voltaren, Centrum and Emergen-C.

Franck Riot, Chief R&D Officer, Haleon, said: “R&D is the cornerstone of our business and the innovation engine behind our category-leading brands. Consumers trust our products because they trust our science - so investing in R&D is vital for driving consumer preference for our brands. This significant investment further expands our R&D and innovation capabilities, allowing us to deliver better everyday health to millions of consumers globally.”

News of today’s investment follows the company’s announcement in October to spend £130 million on a new global oral health innovation centre in Weybridge, UK, which is set to open in 2027.

Media Contacts:

Victoria Durman: victoria.a.durman@haleon.com; +44 (0) 7894505730

Gemma Thomas: gemma.x.thomas@haleon.com; +44 (0) 7721376006

Notes to editors:

About Haleon’s Richmond facility:

• Haleon can trace its roots in Richmond back to the 1960s, with the site growing over time through various mergers and acquisitions. Over the years, its on-site team has reinvented itself and the site’s capabilities to meet evolving consumer needs. The site has expanded its scope in recent years, growing headcount with 100 new team members since 2020.

• Many of Haleon’s leading brands were either born or have grown from the site since its inception – including Advil, Emergen-C, Robitussin, and more.
• The Richmond site incorporates one of Haleon’s three global R&D centres of excellence, with critical technical functions collocated at the site including: consumer science, formulation development, process scale up, analytical test method development, microbiology, product stability, packaging design, and clinical supp lies.
• Haleon and the Commonwealth are also launching the Haleon-Commonwealth Consumer Healthcare Internship Program for Advanced Life Sciences in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). This five-year programme is being supported by equal investments from Haleon and the state of Virginia. Building from Haleon's existing talent development programmes, this new consumer healthcare focused internship will provide paid opportunities for undergraduate VCU students in the new Pharmaceutical Science degree program as well as summer internships from undergraduate and graduate students from all of Virginia's institutions of higher education.

About Haleon:

Haleon (LSE / NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Haleon’s product portfolio spans five major categories - Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its long-standing brands - such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum - are built on trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding. For more information, please visit www.haleon.com