A NEW era dawned at Glaxo when the GlaxoSmithKline corporate flag was raised at the shift changeover.

New signs were erected overnight on Sunday but kept covered.

Following a short ceremony at 7am on Monday, the blue Glaxo Wellcome sign was lowered by one of the longest-serving staff Jim Rankin and the floodlit orange-and-silver GSK flag raised by one of the newest, Paul Brumby.

Signs around the gatehouse were simultaneously unveiled.

GSK, which was launching its new image across the world on Monday, became the world's biggest drugs company on December 27.

Meanwhile, the company has heard that the European Commission has allowed Glaxo's three-in-one Aids treatment Trizivir to be sold in all 15 countries of the European Union.

The drug allows people with Aids to take only two tablets a day with no dietary restrictions instead of taking three sets of drugs and controlling their diet.

But Linda McBride, for Glaxo, said the Ulverston plant, which employs 1,200 workers, was unlikely to feel the benefit as it did not have a huge involvement in making it.

"We just make a part of one of the drugs and the whole point of taking the combined pill is to swap over and take that instead of three separate ones - so it's neutral news," she said.