GSK scientist to earn £10.4m

DRUGMAKER GlaxosmithKline has poached a top scientist from Google – and is paying him up to £1.6m more than its chief executive.

Dr hal Barron will earn up to £10.4m as GsK’s chief scientific officer and research head while overall boss emma Walmsley can only take home a maximum of £8.9m, according to its annual report last year.

Barron works for Calico, which seeks to combat the ageing process and is owned by Google’s parent firm Alphabet.

Before that, he held senior jobs at swiss pharma business Roche and its Genentech division, which seeks cures for cancer.

The Us scientist is widely seen as one of the world’s top experts on cancer drugs, and has been credited with a host of life- saving treatments. One was a medicine called Avastin, which destroys tumours.

his appointment comes as GsK attempts to take the lead in oncology and is likely to be seen as a major coup for Walmsley.

Barron will be based in san Francisco, where he lives, but will travel frequently to GsK’s research hub in stevenage.

he is getting a £1.3m base salary, plus an annual bonus of up to £2.6m and up to £6.5m under the firm’s long-term incentive plan if he hits the top end of his targets.

he replaces Patrick Vallance, who leaves next year to become the Government’s chief scientific adviser. GsK shares closed up 1.5pc, or 19.5p, at 1362.5p.