A US drugs company has declined to respond to speculation about possible interest in GSK's cephalosporins business which includes its site in Ulverston.

GSK announced last month that it was pulling out of a planned £350m biopharm facility in the town and was considering selling its cephalosporins antibiotics arm, which includes the jobs of around 200 people in Furness.

The announcement has led to market commentators to suggest which rival firms might be interested in buying the business, with some in Ulverston claiming insiders at GSK believe Pfizer could be a possibility.

However, after being approached by The Mail , a spokeswoman for Pfizer said the company did "not respond to market speculation and rumour".