GlaxoSmithKline
Encyclopedia
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues (after Johnson & Johnson
and Pfizer
).
GSK has a portfolio of products for major disease areas including asthma
, cancer, virus control, infections, mental health
, diabetes and digestive conditions
. It also has a large consumer healthcare division which produces and markets oral healthcare and nutritional products and over-the-counter medicines including Sensodyne
, Boost
, Horlicks
and Gaviscon
.
GSK has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange
and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange
.
plc (from the merger of Beecham plc, and SmithKline Beckman Corporation).
and Silas Burroughs
. The Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories opened in 1902. In 1959 the Wellcome Company bought Cooper, McDougall & Robertson Inc. to become more active in animal health. The Wellcome Company production centre was moved from New York to North Carolina
in 1970 and the following year another research centre was built.
Glaxo was founded in Bunnythorpe, New Zealand in 1904. Originally Glaxo was a baby food manufacturer processing local milk into a baby food by the same name: the product was sold in the 1930s under the slogan "Glaxo builds bonny babies". Still visible on the main street of Bunnythorpe is a derelict dairy factory (factory for drying and processing cows' milk into powder) with the original Glaxo logo clearly visible, but nothing to indicate that this was the start of a major multinational company.
Glaxo became Glaxo Laboratories, and opened new units in London in 1935. Glaxo Laboratories bought two companies, Joseph Nathan and Allen & Hanburys
, in 1947 and 1958 respectively. After the Company bought Meyer Laboratories in 1978, it started to play an important role in the US market. In 1983 the American arm Glaxo Inc. moved to Research Triangle Park
(US headquarters/research) and Zebulon (US manufacturing) in North Carolina. Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo merged in 1995 to form GlaxoWellcome. In the same year, GlaxoWellcome opened its Medicine Research Centre in Stevenage
. Three years later GlaxoWellcome bought Polfa Poznan Company in Poland.
launched his Beecham's Pills
laxative in England giving birth to the Beecham Group.
Beechams
opened its first factory in St Helens
, Lancashire, England for rapid production of medicines in 1859. By the 1960s it was extensively involved in pharmaceuticals.
In 1830, John K. Smith
opened its first pharmacy in Philadelphia. In 1865 Mahlon Kline
joined the business which, 10 years later, became Smith, Kline & Co. Subsequently, in 1891, it merged with French, Richard and Company. It changed its name to Smith Kline & French Laboratories
as it focused more on research in 1929. Years later, Smith Kline & French Laboratories opened a new laboratory in Philadelphia; it then bought Norden Laboratories, a business doing research into animal health.
Smith Kline & French Laboratories bought Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
(Belgium) in 1963 to order to focus on vaccines. The Company started to expand globally buying seven laboratories in Canada and the US in 1969. In 1982, it bought Allergan, a manufacturer of eye and skincare products. The Company merged with Beckman Inc. later that year and then changed its name to SmithKline Beckman.
In 1988, SmithKline Beckman bought its biggest competitor, International Clinical Laboratories, and in 1989 merged with Beecham
to form SmithKline Beecham plc. The headquarters of the Company were then moved to England. To expand research & development in the US, SmithKline Beecham bought a new research center in 1995. Another new research centre at New Frontiers Science Park in Harlow
was opened in 1997.
In 2000, Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged to form GlaxoSmithKline.
-based Block Drug
.
In February 2009, GSK head Andrew Witty
announced that the company will cut drug prices by 25% in 50 of the poorest nations, release intellectual property rights for substances and processes relevant to neglected disease into a patent pool
to encourage new drug development, and invest 20% of profits from the least developed countries in medical infrastructure for those countries. The decision has received mixed reactions from medical charities. Médecins Sans Frontières
welcomed the decision, encouraging other companies to follow suit, but criticised GSK for failing to include HIV patents in their patent pool, and for not including middle-income countries in the initiative.
On 16 November 2009 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a vaccine for 2009 H1N1 influenza protection (manufactured by GSK's ID Biomedical Corp. subsidiary) would join the four vaccines approved on 15 September. In June 2010, the company acquired Laboratorios Phoenix, an Argentine pharmaceutical company focused on the development, marketing and sale of branded generic products, for a cash consideration of approximately $253m. In December 2010, GSK announced its acquisition of the sports nutrition company Maxinutrition.
Since 2008, GSK has been running clinical trails of a new malaria vaccine. The vaccine, which is known as RTS,S, has been in development for more than 25 years, at first for the American military and then with major support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The clinical trial is scheduled to continue through 2014 and will include tests on more than 15,000 children, starting at infancy.
, United Kingdom, with its United States headquarters based in Research Triangle Park
(RTP) in North Carolina
and its consumer products division based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, Pennsylvania
. The research and development division has major headquarters in South East England, Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park
(RTP) in North Carolina
.
The company's stock is listed on the London stock exchange
and ADR
s are listed on the NYSE. The single largest market is in the United States (approximately 45% of revenue), although the company has a presence in almost 70 countries.
In November 2009 GlaxoSmithKline formed a joint venture with Pfizer
to create ViiV Healthcare
. Viiv Healthcare received all of Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline's HIV assets. ViiV Healthcare is 85% owned by GlaxoSmithKline and 15% owned by Pfizer.
. Jean-Pierre (JP) Garnier, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline has said, “The Egyptian data shows that we can now eliminate a disease that has plagued the world for centuries. We remain committed to donating as much albendazole as required to eliminate this disabling disease, but ultimate success will depend on continued long-term commitments by all partners across the globe.”
In addition GlaxoSmithKline has been short-listed for awards such as the Worldaware Business Award for its work to eliminate malaria in Kenya.
GlaxoSmithKline recently donated money to the British flood appeal, and was ranked first on the 2006 UK Corporate Citizenship Index for donations.
Foundation's 2008 Corporate Equality Index
, an annual report card of corporate America's treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) employees, customers and investors. GSK also supports employee diversity networks for groups such as ECN, PTPN, GLBT, AAA, etc.
In November 2007, a United States Congressional committee
released a report describing intimidation of Dr John Buse
(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
) by GlaxoSmithKline over his concerns about the cardiovascular risks associated with the company's anti-diabetes drug Rosiglitazone
(Avandia).
(Seroxat, Paxil) is an SSRI anti-depressant released in 1992 by GlaxoSmithKline. In March 2004 the FDA ordered a black box warning placed on SSRI and other anti-depressants, warning of the risk for potential suicidal thinking in children and adolescents. Since the FDA approved paroxetine in 1992, approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens have sued GSK. On 29 January 2007, the BBC
in the UK broadcast a fourth documentary in its 'Panorama' series about Seroxat. There is as yet no proven link between SSRI's and actual suicide, and the addition of blackbox warning labels was said to be controversial But many recent analyses prove the link, even with older patients
For the first 10 years of paroxetine
's availability, GlaxoSmithKline's marketing of the drug stated falsely that it was "not habit forming". In 2001, the BBC reported the World Health Organization had found paroxetine to have the hardest withdrawal problems of any anti-depressant. In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a new product warning about the drug, and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA
) declared GSK guilty of misleading the public about paroxetine on US television. The British Medical Journal
quoted Charles Medawar, head of Social Audit:
On 22 December 2006, a US court decided in Hoorman, et al. v. SmithKline Beecham Corp that individuals who purchased Paxil or Paxil CR (paroxetine) for a minor child may be eligible for benefits under a $63.8 million Proposed Settlement. The lawsuit stemmed from a consumer advocate protest against GSK. Since the FDA approved paroxetine in 1992, approximately 5,000 US citizens — and thousands more worldwide — have sued GSK. Most of these people feel they were not sufficiently warned in advance of the drug's side effects and addictive properties.
According to the Paxil Protest website, hundreds more lawsuits have been filed against GSK. The original Paxil Protest website was removed from the internet in 2006. It is understood that the action to take down the site was undertaken as part of a confidentiality agreement or 'gagging order' which the owner of the site entered into as part of a settlement of his action against GlaxoSmithKline. (However, in March 2007, the website Seroxat Secrets discovered that an archive of Paxil Protest site was still available on the internet via Archive.org)
In January 2007, according to the Seroxat Secrets website, the national group litigation in the United Kingdom, on behalf of several hundred people who allege withdrawal reactions through their use of the drug Seroxat, against GlaxoSmithKline plc, moved a step closer to the High Court in London, with the confirmation that Public Funding had been reinstated following a decision by the Public Interest Appeal Panel. The issue at the heart of this particular action claims Seroxat has a propensity to cause a withdrawal reaction. Hugh James Solicitors have confirmed this news.
In March 2008 the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency concluded that GSK should have warned of the possible ill effects of taking Seroxat a lot sooner. GSK could not be prosecuted under the old legislation.
As of 2008, GlaxoSmithKline's prescribing information acknowledges that "serious discontinuation symptoms" may occur.
by New Zealand's Commerce Commission
. The charges related to a popular blackcurrant
fruit drink Ribena
which the company had led consumers to believe contained high levels of vitamin C
. As part of a school science project, two 14-year-old school girls (Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo) from Pakuranga College
in Auckland
(New Zealand) discovered that ready-to-drink juice sold in 100ml containers contained very little vitamin C. Approaches by the two teens to the company didn't resolve the issue but after the matter was publicised on a national consumer affairs television show (Fair Go
) the matter came to the attention of the Commerce Commission (a government funded 'consumer watch-dog'). The commission's testing found that ready-to-drink Ribena contained no detectable vitamin C.
The company was fined $217,000 for the 15 charges. The number of charges was reduced from 88 and covered a period from March 2002 to March 2006. GSK maintains that it did not intend to mislead consumers and that the advertising claims were based on testing procedures that have since been changed. It was ordered to run an advertising campaign to provide the facts after it admitted misleading the public about the vitamin C component in its Ribena drink. Through its lawyer, Adam Ross, the company accepted Commerce Commission allegations that claims that ready-to-drink Ribena contained 7 mg of vitamin C per 100ml, or 44 per cent of the recommended daily intake, were incorrect. The company also agreed television advertising claiming the blackcurrants in Ribena had four times the vitamin C of oranges, while literally true, were likely to mislead consumers about the relative levels of vitamin C in Ribena.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
and Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
).
GSK has a portfolio of products for major disease areas including asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, cancer, virus control, infections, mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
, diabetes and digestive conditions
Digestive disease
All diseases that pertain to the gastrointestinal tract are labelled as digestive diseases. This includes diseases of the esophagus, stomach, first, second, and third part of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, the ileo-cecal complex, large intestine , sigmoid colon, and rectum.-Esophagus:*Esophagitis -...
. It also has a large consumer healthcare division which produces and markets oral healthcare and nutritional products and over-the-counter medicines including Sensodyne
Sensodyne
Sensodyne is a toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash marketed for individuals with sensitive teeth and/or dentine hypersensitivity. It is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline which acquired it in 2001 in the purchase of Block Drug which developed it....
, Boost
Boost (health food)
Boost is a chocolate-flavored health food drink manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It was launched in 1977 in India. Brand ambassador for Boost in 1986 was the cricketer Kapil Dev. Sachin Tendulkar became the brand ambassador with his debut in 1989. Virender Sehwag joined in 2002. Later in 2008,...
, Horlicks
Horlicks
Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
and Gaviscon
Gaviscon
Gaviscon is a non-prescription medication for the treatment of heartburn and GERD. It is produced and distributed in the UK by Reckitt Benckiser and by GlaxoSmithKline in the US and Canada.Gaviscon is taken to treat heartburn, similarly to other antacids...
.
GSK has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
FTSE 100 Index
The FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
.
History
GSK was formed in 2000 by the merger of GlaxoWellcome plc (formed from the acquisition of Wellcome plc by Glaxo plc), and SmithKline BeechamBeecham (pharmaceutical company)
Beecham was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with SmithKline Beckman, merged with GlaxoWellcome to become GlaxoSmithKline .-History:...
plc (from the merger of Beecham plc, and SmithKline Beckman Corporation).
GlaxoWellcome
In 1880, Burroughs Wellcome & Company was founded in London by American pharmacists Henry WellcomeHenry Wellcome
Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome FRS was an American-British pharmaceutical entrepreneur. He founded the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company with his colleague Silas Burroughs, which is one of the four large companies that merged to form GlaxoSmithKline...
and Silas Burroughs
Silas Mainville Burroughs (pharmacist)
Silas Mainville Burroughs, Jr. was an American pharmaceutical businessman.-Biography:Born in Medina, New York, he was the son of Silas Mainville Burroughs, Sr., his mother died when he was five and his father when he was 13...
. The Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories opened in 1902. In 1959 the Wellcome Company bought Cooper, McDougall & Robertson Inc. to become more active in animal health. The Wellcome Company production centre was moved from New York to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1970 and the following year another research centre was built.
Glaxo was founded in Bunnythorpe, New Zealand in 1904. Originally Glaxo was a baby food manufacturer processing local milk into a baby food by the same name: the product was sold in the 1930s under the slogan "Glaxo builds bonny babies". Still visible on the main street of Bunnythorpe is a derelict dairy factory (factory for drying and processing cows' milk into powder) with the original Glaxo logo clearly visible, but nothing to indicate that this was the start of a major multinational company.
Glaxo became Glaxo Laboratories, and opened new units in London in 1935. Glaxo Laboratories bought two companies, Joseph Nathan and Allen & Hanburys
Allen & Hanburys
Allen and Hanburys Ltd was a British pharmaceutical manufacturer, absorbed by Glaxo Laboratories in 1958.-History:The business was founded in 1715 in Old Plough Court, Lombard Street, London, by Silvanus Bevan, a Welshman, apothecary and a Quaker...
, in 1947 and 1958 respectively. After the Company bought Meyer Laboratories in 1978, it started to play an important role in the US market. In 1983 the American arm Glaxo Inc. moved to Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
(US headquarters/research) and Zebulon (US manufacturing) in North Carolina. Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo merged in 1995 to form GlaxoWellcome. In the same year, GlaxoWellcome opened its Medicine Research Centre in Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
. Three years later GlaxoWellcome bought Polfa Poznan Company in Poland.
SmithKline Beecham
In 1843, Thomas BeechamThomas Beecham (chemist)
Thomas Beecham was the founder of Beechams, which became one of the United Kingdom's largest pharmaceutical businesses.-Career:...
launched his Beecham's Pills
Beecham's Pills
Beecham's Pills were a laxative first marketed around 1842 in St Helens, Lancashire. They were invented by Thomas Beecham , grandfather of Thomas Beecham ....
laxative in England giving birth to the Beecham Group.
Beechams
Beecham (pharmaceutical company)
Beecham was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with SmithKline Beckman, merged with GlaxoWellcome to become GlaxoSmithKline .-History:...
opened its first factory in St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, Lancashire, England for rapid production of medicines in 1859. By the 1960s it was extensively involved in pharmaceuticals.
In 1830, John K. Smith
John K. Smith
John K. Smith was the founder of SmithKline as in GlaxoSmithKline, the leading pharmaceutical business.-Career:Trained as a druggist, John K.Smith joined with his brother-in-law, John Gilbert, in 1830 to open a dispensing chemist at 296 North Second Street in Philadelphia. Together they sold...
opened its first pharmacy in Philadelphia. In 1865 Mahlon Kline
Mahlon Kline
Mahlon Nunnemacher Kline was President and General Manager of Smith Kline & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical businesses in the United States.-Career:...
joined the business which, 10 years later, became Smith, Kline & Co. Subsequently, in 1891, it merged with French, Richard and Company. It changed its name to Smith Kline & French Laboratories
SmithKline & French
Smith, Kline & French was a pharmaceutical company, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline.-History:In 1830, John K. Smith opened a drugstore in Philadelphia, and his younger brother, George, joined him in 1841 to form John K Smith & Co. In 1865, Mahlon Kline joined Smith and Shoemaker, as John K...
as it focused more on research in 1929. Years later, Smith Kline & French Laboratories opened a new laboratory in Philadelphia; it then bought Norden Laboratories, a business doing research into animal health.
Smith Kline & French Laboratories bought Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques was founded in Genval, Belgium, as a penicillin factory in 1945 by Dr Pieter De Somer, who later became the founder of the Rega Institute for Medical Research and rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . The industrialist Jacques Lannoy provided the...
(Belgium) in 1963 to order to focus on vaccines. The Company started to expand globally buying seven laboratories in Canada and the US in 1969. In 1982, it bought Allergan, a manufacturer of eye and skincare products. The Company merged with Beckman Inc. later that year and then changed its name to SmithKline Beckman.
In 1988, SmithKline Beckman bought its biggest competitor, International Clinical Laboratories, and in 1989 merged with Beecham
Beecham (pharmaceutical company)
Beecham was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with SmithKline Beckman, merged with GlaxoWellcome to become GlaxoSmithKline .-History:...
to form SmithKline Beecham plc. The headquarters of the Company were then moved to England. To expand research & development in the US, SmithKline Beecham bought a new research center in 1995. Another new research centre at New Frontiers Science Park in Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
was opened in 1997.
In 2000, Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged to form GlaxoSmithKline.
2000 to present
In 2001 it completed its purchase of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-based Block Drug
Block Drug
Block Drug Company was a pharmaceutical company based in Jersey City, New Jersey, that specialized in dental care products.GlaxoSmithKline purchased the company for $1.24 billion in 2001....
.
In February 2009, GSK head Andrew Witty
Andrew Witty
Andrew Philip Witty is the chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline.-Early life:Witty attended Malbank School in Nantwich, and then gained a BA in Economics from the University of Nottingham.-Career:Witty joined Glaxo UK in 1985 as a management trainee...
announced that the company will cut drug prices by 25% in 50 of the poorest nations, release intellectual property rights for substances and processes relevant to neglected disease into a patent pool
Patent pool
In patent law, a patent pool is a consortium of at least two companies agreeing to cross-license patents relating to a particular technology. The creation of a patent pool can save patentees and licensees time and money, and, in case of blocking patents, it may also be the only reasonable method...
to encourage new drug development, and invest 20% of profits from the least developed countries in medical infrastructure for those countries. The decision has received mixed reactions from medical charities. Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
welcomed the decision, encouraging other companies to follow suit, but criticised GSK for failing to include HIV patents in their patent pool, and for not including middle-income countries in the initiative.
On 16 November 2009 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a vaccine for 2009 H1N1 influenza protection (manufactured by GSK's ID Biomedical Corp. subsidiary) would join the four vaccines approved on 15 September. In June 2010, the company acquired Laboratorios Phoenix, an Argentine pharmaceutical company focused on the development, marketing and sale of branded generic products, for a cash consideration of approximately $253m. In December 2010, GSK announced its acquisition of the sports nutrition company Maxinutrition.
Since 2008, GSK has been running clinical trails of a new malaria vaccine. The vaccine, which is known as RTS,S, has been in development for more than 25 years, at first for the American military and then with major support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The clinical trial is scheduled to continue through 2014 and will include tests on more than 15,000 children, starting at infancy.
Operations
As the second largest pharmaceutical company in the world, based on net income, the company had sales of £22.7 billion and made a profit of £7.8 billion in 2007. It employs over 90,000 people worldwide, according to GSK website, including over 40,000 in sales and marketing. Its global headquarters are GSK House in BrentfordBrentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, United Kingdom, with its United States headquarters based in Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
(RTP) in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and its consumer products division based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The research and development division has major headquarters in South East England, Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
(RTP) in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The company's stock is listed on the London stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
and ADR
American Depositary Receipt
An American depositary receipt is a negotiable security that represents the underlying securities of a non-U.S. company that trades in the US financial markets...
s are listed on the NYSE. The single largest market is in the United States (approximately 45% of revenue), although the company has a presence in almost 70 countries.
In November 2009 GlaxoSmithKline formed a joint venture with Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
to create ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapies for HIV that was created as a joint venture by Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline in November 2009 with both companies transferring their HIV assets to the new company. 85% of the company is owned by GlaxoSmithKline...
. Viiv Healthcare received all of Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline's HIV assets. ViiV Healthcare is 85% owned by GlaxoSmithKline and 15% owned by Pfizer.
Locations
- Global Pharmaceutical Operations headquarters in BrentfordGolden Mile (Brentford)The Golden Mile is the name given to a stretch of the Great West Road north of Brentford running west from the western boundary of Chiswick in London, United Kingdom.It was so called due to the concentration of industry along this short stretch of road...
, United Kingdom with US operations based in Research Triangle Park, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. - Consumer Products headquarters in Moon TownshipMoon Township, PennsylvaniaMoon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
, Pennsylvania suburb of Pittsburgh - Major R&D sites in Stockley ParkStockley ParkStockley Park is a business estate located between Hayes and West Drayton in the London Borough of Hillingdon.It is home to over 33 companies such as Apple Inc...
, StevenageStevenageStevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
and Ware in the United Kingdom; ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia; EvreuxÉvreuxÉvreux is a commune in the Eure department, of which it is the capital, in Haute Normandie in northern France.-History:In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area...
and Les UlisLes UlisLes Ulis is a commune in the Essonne department located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Les Ulis are known as Ulissiens.- Location :...
in France; Research Triangle ParkResearch Triangle ParkThe Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
, North Carolina; LavalLaval, QuebecLaval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, Quebec and Upper Merion and Collegeville, Pennsylvania - Major centre for biopharmaceuticalBiopharmaceuticalBiopharmaceuticals are medical drugs produced using biotechnology. They include proteins , nucleic acids and living microorganisms like virus and bacteria where the virulence of viruses and bacteria is reduced by the process of attenuation, they can be used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic...
products in Belgium (WavreWavreWavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"...
and RixensartRixensartRixensart is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Rixensart had a total population of 21,355. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of 1,217 inhabitants per km²....
), Germany (Dresden), Canada (Quebec, QC), USA (Marietta PA & Hamilton MT) and Hungary (Gödöllő) - New R&D centres in ThaneThaneThane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
, India and Nashik, India - R&D centres in Shanghai, China and Boston, USA
- Major manufacturing sites for prescription products in IrvineIrvine, North AyrshireIrvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, Ware, MontroseMontrose, AngusMontrose is a coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. It is situated 38 miles north of Dundee between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers...
, Barnard CastleBarnard CastleBarnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
, WorthingWorthingWorthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
and UlverstonUlverstonUlverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
in the United Kingdom; EvreuxÉvreuxÉvreux is a commune in the Eure department, of which it is the capital, in Haute Normandie in northern France.-History:In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area...
, France; BristolBristol, TennesseeBristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
, King of PrussiaKing of Prussia, PennsylvaniaKing of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
and ZebulonZebulon, North CarolinaZebulon is the eastern-most town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. In 2008, the population was estimated to be 4,732. Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
in the United States; Cidra, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
; Jurong, Singapore; CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland; PoznańPoznanPoznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland; ParmaParmaParma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Italy; BrasovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, Romania; Boronia, Australia, Brussels, Belgium. - Major manufacturing sites for consumer products in MaidenheadMaidenheadMaidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
, United Kingdom; DungarvanDungarvanDungarvan is a town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford. The town's Irish name means "Garbhan's fort", referring to Saint Garbhan who founded a church there in the seventh century...
, Ireland; MississaugaMississauga, OntarioMississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, Ontario; AikenAiken, South CarolinaAiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
, South Carolina; CliftonClifton, New JerseyClifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
, New Jersey; and St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri, and Kenya - GSK has a presence in 99 cities across 39 countries
Products
GSK's current products include:- AdvairFluticasone/salmeterolThe combination preparation fluticasone/salmeterol is a formulation containing fluticasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate used in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...
- AlbenzaAlbendazoleAlbendazole, marketed as Albenza, Eskazole, Zentel and Andazol, is a member of the benzimidazole compounds used as a drug indicated for the treatment of a variety of worm infestations. Although this use is widespread in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved...
- AlliOrlistatOrlistat , also known as tetrahydrolipstatin, is a drug designed to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet, thereby reducing caloric intake...
- AmergeNaratriptanNaratriptan is a triptan drug marketed by GlaxoSmithKline and is used for the treatment of migraine headaches. Naratriptan is available in 2.5 mg tablets. It is a selective 5-HT1 receptor subtype agonist...
- AmoxilAmoxicillinAmoxicillin , formerly amoxycillin , and abbreviated amox, is a moderate-spectrum, bacteriolytic, β-lactam antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. It is usually the drug of choice within the class because it is better absorbed, following oral...
- AquafreshAquafreshAquafresh is a brand of toothpaste that has been on sale since 1973. It is manufactured by consumer healthcare product maker GlaxoSmithKline...
- ArixtraFondaparinuxFondaparinux is an anticoagulant medication chemically related to low molecular weight heparins. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline.-Structure and mechanism:Fondaparinux is a synthetic pentasaccharide Factor Xa inhibitor...
- Arranon
- Augmentin
- AvamysFluticasone furoateFluticasone furoate is a synthetic corticosteroid derived from fluticasone, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Veramyst and Avamys for the treatment of allergic rhinitis...
- AvandiaRosiglitazoneRosiglitazone is an antidiabetic drug in the thiazolidinedione class of drugs. It works as an insulin sensitizer, by binding to the PPAR receptors in fat cells and making the cells more responsive to insulin...
- AvodartDutasterideDutasteride is a dual 5-a reductase inhibitor that inhibits conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone ....
- BC PowderBC PowderBC Powder is an over-the-counter analgesic pain reliever owned by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and manufactured in Memphis, TN. It was conceived at the Five Points Drug Company in Durham, NC, in 1906, by Germain Bernard and C.T. Council, who took the initials of their last names to create the...
- BeanoBeano (dietary supplement)Beano is an enzyme-based dietary supplement that is used to reduce gas in the digestive tract, thereby improving digestion and reducing bloating, discomfort, and flatulence caused by gas. It contains the enzyme alpha galactosidase that breaks down oligosaccharides such as raffinose...
- Beconase
- BioteneBioteneBiotene is a dental hygiene product manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It comes in a number of forms, including toothpaste, mouthwash and cream....
- BonivaIbandronic acidIbandronic acid or ibandronate sodium , marketed under the trade names Boniva, Bondronat and Bonviva, is a potent bisphosphonate drug used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis....
- BoostBoost (health food)Boost is a chocolate-flavored health food drink manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It was launched in 1977 in India. Brand ambassador for Boost in 1986 was the cricketer Kapil Dev. Sachin Tendulkar became the brand ambassador with his debut in 1989. Virender Sehwag joined in 2002. Later in 2008,...
- CeftinCefuroximeCefuroxime is a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic that has been widely available in the USA as Ceftin since 1977. GlaxoSmithKline sells the antibiotic in the United Kingdom under the name Zinnat.-Indications:As for the other cephalosporins, although as a...
- CoregCarvedilolCarvedilol is a non-selective beta blocker/alpha-1 blocker indicated in the treatment of mild to moderate congestive heart failure . It is marketed under various trade names including Carvil , Coreg , Dilatrend , Eucardic , and Carloc as a generic drug ., and as a...
- Coreg CRCarvedilolCarvedilol is a non-selective beta blocker/alpha-1 blocker indicated in the treatment of mild to moderate congestive heart failure . It is marketed under various trade names including Carvil , Coreg , Dilatrend , Eucardic , and Carloc as a generic drug ., and as a...
- Dexedrine
- EnoEno (drug)Eno is the most global of GSK's gastrointestinal products. The fast-acting effervescent fruit salts, used as an antacid and reliever of bloatedness, was invented in the 1850s by James Crossley Eno...
- FlixonaseFluticasoneFluticasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid.Both the furoate and propionate forms are used as topical anti-inflammatories:*Fluticasone propionate*Fluticasone furoateTreatment of asthma - Fluticasone in combination with Salmeterol - "[]" - aerosol....
- GeritolGeritolGeritol is a US trademarked name for various dietary supplements, past and present. Geritol is currently a brand name for several vitamin complexes plus iron or multimineral products in both liquid form and tablets, containing from 9.5 to 18 mg of iron per daily dose...
- Goody's PowderGoody's PowderGoody's Powder is an over-the-counter pain reliever, in powder form, marketed and sold by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals. Goody's contains aspirin, caffeine, and acetaminophen, in a formula similar to Excedrin, a product of Novartis. The formulation of "Goody's Extra Strength Headache Powders" is...
- HorlicksHorlicksHorlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
- ImitrexSumatriptanSumatriptan is a triptan sulfa drug containing a sulfonamide group. It is used for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sumatriptan is produced and marketed by various drug manufacturers with many different trade names such as Sumatriptan, Imitrex, Imigran, Imigran recovery.-Approval and...
- Keppra
- LamictalLamotrigineLamotrigine, marketed in the US and most of Europe as Lamictal by GlaxoSmithKline, is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It is also used as an adjunct in treating depression, though this is considered off-label usage...
- LanoxinDigoxinDigoxin INN , also known as digitalis, is a purified cardiac glycoside and extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. Its corresponding aglycone is digoxigenin, and its acetyl derivative is acetyldigoxin...
- LevitraVardenafilVardenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor used for treating erectile dysfunction that is sold under the trade names Levitra and Staxyn.-History:...
(Bayer healthcare) - LovazaLovazaLovaza is a brand name prescription drug fish oil capsule developed by GlaxoSmithKline and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lower very high triglyceride levels. It is an Omega-3 fatty acid. It is a dietary supplement that has been purified, chemically altered, branded, and been...
- LucozadeLucozadeLucozade is an umbrella name for a 6 series of energy and sports drinks, produced by GlaxoSmithKline in Gloucestershire. The former company became part of Beecham and, after the mergers of SmithKline and Beecham in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline....
- NicodermNicodermNicoDerm, also known as NicoDerm CQ is a branded over the counter palliative nicotine replacement therapy used to minimize the withdrawal effects involved in quitting smoking....
- NicoretteNicoretteNicorette is the brand name of a pharmaceutical preparation that contains nicotine for the treatment of tobacco dependence. Nicorette was the first medicinal preparation to facilitate smoking cessation....
- NiQuitinNiquitinNiQuitin is a range of nicotine replacement products designed to help smokers quit by replacing the nicotine supplied by cigarettes with a lower, steadier level in order to relieve withdrawal. This is to help users wean off nicotine gradually. Nicotine replacement therapy products NiQuitin is a...
- PandemrixPandemrixPandemrix is an influenza vaccine for influenza pandemics, such as the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic colloquially called the swine flu. The vaccine was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and patented in September 2006....
- PanadolParacetamolParacetamol INN , or acetaminophen USAN , is a widely used over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic . It is commonly used for the relief of headaches and other minor aches and pains and is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu remedies...
- Panadol nightPanadol nightPanadol night is a GlaxoSmithKline painkiller intended for use at night. It consists of 500 milligrams of paracetamol, 25 milligrams of diphenhydramine hydrochloride and other "non-hazardous ingredients" It is sold in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East. It became...
- ParnateTranylcypromineTranylcypromine is a drug of the substituted phenethylamine and amphetamine classes which acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor —it is a non-selective and irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase...
- PaxilParoxetineParoxetine is an SSRI antidepressant. Marketing of the drug began in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline...
- PromactaEltrombopagEltrombopag is a medication that has been developed for conditions that lead to thrombocytopenia . It is a small molecule agonist of the c-mpl receptor, which is the physiological target of the hormone thrombopoietin...
- RalgexRalgexRalgex Spray is a spray designed to sooth painful muscles and joints in humans when applied to the skin. There is also Ralgex cream available which is used for the same purpose...
- Relenza
- RequipRopiniroleRopinirole is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline , Cipla and Sun Pharmaceutical. It is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease...
- RibenaRibenaRibena is a British brand of fruit-based uncarbonated soft drink, carbonated soft drink and fruit drink concentrate produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The original and most common variety contains real blackcurrant juice.- History :...
- SensodyneSensodyneSensodyne is a toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash marketed for individuals with sensitive teeth and/or dentine hypersensitivity. It is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline which acquired it in 2001 in the purchase of Block Drug which developed it....
- SerlipetPiboserodPiboserod is a selective 5-HT4 receptor antagonist which was marketed and manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline under the trade name Serlipet for the management of atrial fibrillation and irritable bowel syndrome...
- Setlers
- TagametCimetidineCimetidine INN is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach. It is largely used in the treatment of heartburn and peptic ulcers. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline under the trade name Tagamet...
- TreximetSumatriptanSumatriptan is a triptan sulfa drug containing a sulfonamide group. It is used for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sumatriptan is produced and marketed by various drug manufacturers with many different trade names such as Sumatriptan, Imitrex, Imigran, Imigran recovery.-Approval and...
- TumsTumsTUMS is an antacid made of sucrose and calcium carbonate manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in St.Louis, Missouri, USA. It is a non-prescription drug and available at many retail stores, including drug stores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers. It provides relief from acid indigestion, heartburn,...
- TrizivirTrizivirAbacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine is a pharmaceutical treatment for HIV infection. It is a fixed dose combination of three reverse transcriptase inhibitors patented by GlaxoSmithKline and now marketed by its joint venture with Pfizer, ViiV Healthcare:*abacavir *lamivudine *zidovudine It is indicated...
- TwinrixTwinrixTwinrix is a vaccine against hepatitis A and hepatitis B, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Twinrix is administered over three doses.The name was created because it is a mixture of two earlier vaccines - Havrix, an inactivated-virus Hepatitis A vaccine, and ENGERIX-B, a recombinant Hepatitis B...
- TykerbLapatinibLapatinib , used in the form of lapatinib ditosylate, is an orally active drug for breast cancer and other solid tumours. It is a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor which interrupts the HER2 growth receptor pathway. It is used in combination therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer...
- Valtrex
- Ventolin HFASalbutamolSalbutamol or albuterol is a short-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist used for the relief of bronchospasm in conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is marketed as Ventolin among other brand names....
- VeramystFluticasoneFluticasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid.Both the furoate and propionate forms are used as topical anti-inflammatories:*Fluticasone propionate*Fluticasone furoateTreatment of asthma - Fluticasone in combination with Salmeterol - "[]" - aerosol....
- VesicareSolifenacinSolifenacin is a urinary antispasmodic of the antimuscarinic class. It is used in the treatment of overactive bladder with or without urge incontinence. It is manufactured by Astellas and co-marketed by Astellas and GlaxoSmithKline.- Mechanism of action :Solifenacin is a competitive muscarinic...
- WellbutrinBupropionBupropion is an atypical antidepressant and smoking cessation aid. The drug is a non-tricyclic antidepressant and differs from most commonly prescribed antidepressants such as SSRIs, as its primary pharmacological action is thought to be norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibition...
- ZantacRanitidineRanitidine is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that inhibits stomach acid production. It is commonly used in treatment of peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease . Ranitidine is also used alongside fexofenadine and other antihistamines for the treatment of skin conditions...
- ZofranOndansetronOndansetron is a serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist used mainly as an antiemetic , often following chemotherapy. Its effects are thought to be on both peripheral and central nerves...
- ZoviraxAciclovirAciclovir or acyclovir , chemical name acycloguanosine, abbreviated as ACV,is a guanosine analogue antiviral drug, marketed under trade names such as Cyclovir, Herpex, Acivir, Acivirax, Zovirax, and Zovir...
Corporate affairs
The current members of GSK's board of directors are:- Sir Christopher GentChris GentSir Christopher Charles Gent is a British businessman, He is the former chief executive officer of Vodafone, a British mobile phone company. He is currently the chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second largest pharmaceutical, biological, and healthcare company.-Early life:Born in 1948 in...
(Non-Executive Chairman); - Andrew WittyAndrew WittyAndrew Philip Witty is the chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline.-Early life:Witty attended Malbank School in Nantwich, and then gained a BA in Economics from the University of Nottingham.-Career:Witty joined Glaxo UK in 1985 as a management trainee...
(Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director); - Dr Stephanie Burns (Non-Executive Director);
- Lawrence Culp (Non-Executive Director);
- Sir Crispin DavisCrispin DavisSir Crispin Davis, OBE , is the Chairman and Director of StarBev Netherlands BV. He was previously chairman of the board and the chief executive officer of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, and he is a non-executive director of GlaxoSmithKline PLC. Sir Crispin has also served as the chief executive...
(Non-Executive Director); - Julian Spenser Heslop (Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director);
- Sir Deryck MaughanDeryck MaughanSir Deryck C. Maughan is a British businessman and philanthropist. He graduated from King's College London with a BA in 1969, and earned a MS from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1978, where he was a Harkness Fellow....
(Non-Executive Director); - Sir Ian ProsserIan ProsserSir Ian Prosser is a UK businessman.He is Chairman of The Navy Army & Airforce Institutes,Chaiman JKX Oil & Gas, Chairman BP Pension Trustees PLC and a non-executive director of Sara Lee Corporation based in Chicago....
(Senior Independent Non-Executive Director); - Dr Ronaldo Schmitz (Non-Executive Director);
- Moncef Slaoui (Chairman, Executive Director, Research & Development);
- Robert Wilson (Non-Executive Director);
- Dr Daniel Podolsky (Non-Executive Director);
- Tom De Swaan (Independent Non-Executive Director);
- Marc Dunoyer (President, Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific/Japan);
- David Pulman PhD (President – Global Manufacturing and Supply);
- John ClarkeJohn Clarke-Canada:* John Clarke , Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty* John Clarke C.M., Canadian mountaineer, explorer and wilderness educator* John Clarke -Canada:* John Clarke (activist), Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition...
(President – Consumer Healthcare); - Emma Walmsley (President – Consumer Healthcare Europe);
- Eddie GrayEddie GrayEdwin "Eddie" Gray was a cultured winger who was an integral member of the legendary Leeds United football team of the 1960s and 1970s, later twice becoming the club's manager....
(President, Pharmaceuticals Europe); - Abbas Hussain (President – Emerging Markets);
- Roberto C. Taboada (President and Managing Director of Philippine);
- Deirdre P. Connelly (President, North American Pharmaceuticals);
- James MurdochJames Murdoch (media executive)James Rupert Jacob Murdoch is the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and currently serves as chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, Europe, and Asia, overseeing assets such as News International , SKY Italia , Sky Deutschland, and STAR TV .He sits on the News...
(Non-Executive Director).
Disease eradication
GSK has been active in a global alliance to eliminate lymphatic filariasisFilariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease and is considered an infectious tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like nematodes belonging to the superfamily Filarioidea, also known as "filariae"....
. Jean-Pierre (JP) Garnier, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline has said, “The Egyptian data shows that we can now eliminate a disease that has plagued the world for centuries. We remain committed to donating as much albendazole as required to eliminate this disabling disease, but ultimate success will depend on continued long-term commitments by all partners across the globe.”
In addition GlaxoSmithKline has been short-listed for awards such as the Worldaware Business Award for its work to eliminate malaria in Kenya.
GlaxoSmithKline recently donated money to the British flood appeal, and was ranked first on the 2006 UK Corporate Citizenship Index for donations.
Diversity
GSK was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2007 by Working Mother magazine and was recognised by the International Charter for its efforts. GSK also received a perfect score of 100 percent from the Human Rights CampaignHuman Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
Foundation's 2008 Corporate Equality Index
Corporate Equality Index
The Corporate Equality Index is a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a tool to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. Its primary source of data are surveys but researchers cross-check...
, an annual report card of corporate America's treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) employees, customers and investors. GSK also supports employee diversity networks for groups such as ECN, PTPN, GLBT, AAA, etc.
Avandia
On 14 June 2007, an article was published by Steve Nissen, Chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in the New England Journal of Medicine. This meta-analysis demonstrated an increased odds ratio of myocardial infarction in patients taking rosiglitazone marketed as Avandia. More recently, the New York Times published an article detailing Nissen's conversation with pharmaceutical executives. These conversations were recorded unbeknownst to the GSK executives but are legal in the State of Ohio as long as one participating party is aware. Currently, a Congressional investigation has been initiated to determine what information was known at the time of the approval of rosiglitazone as well as post approval and whether or not GSK wilfully suppressed such information. On February 2010 GlaxoSmithKline tried to suppress publishing of a critical article concerning rosiglitazone. In July a US Finance Committee Letter asserted GSK had "to publish studies in a timely manner that found problems with Avandia".In November 2007, a United States Congressional committee
United States Congressional committee
A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty . Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction...
released a report describing intimidation of Dr John Buse
John Buse
John B. Buse, MD, PhD formerly held the position of President, Medicine & Science on the board of the American Diabetes Association during 2008. Dr. Buse currently serves as the Director of the Diabetes Care Center at UNC.- Biography :...
(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
) by GlaxoSmithKline over his concerns about the cardiovascular risks associated with the company's anti-diabetes drug Rosiglitazone
Rosiglitazone
Rosiglitazone is an antidiabetic drug in the thiazolidinedione class of drugs. It works as an insulin sensitizer, by binding to the PPAR receptors in fat cells and making the cells more responsive to insulin...
(Avandia).
Paroxetine
ParoxetineParoxetine
Paroxetine is an SSRI antidepressant. Marketing of the drug began in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline...
(Seroxat, Paxil) is an SSRI anti-depressant released in 1992 by GlaxoSmithKline. In March 2004 the FDA ordered a black box warning placed on SSRI and other anti-depressants, warning of the risk for potential suicidal thinking in children and adolescents. Since the FDA approved paroxetine in 1992, approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens have sued GSK. On 29 January 2007, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the UK broadcast a fourth documentary in its 'Panorama' series about Seroxat. There is as yet no proven link between SSRI's and actual suicide, and the addition of blackbox warning labels was said to be controversial But many recent analyses prove the link, even with older patients
For the first 10 years of paroxetine
Paroxetine
Paroxetine is an SSRI antidepressant. Marketing of the drug began in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline...
's availability, GlaxoSmithKline's marketing of the drug stated falsely that it was "not habit forming". In 2001, the BBC reported the World Health Organization had found paroxetine to have the hardest withdrawal problems of any anti-depressant. In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a new product warning about the drug, and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA
IFPMA
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations is the global non-profit NGO representing the research-based pharmaceutical industry, including the biotech and vaccine sectors. Its members comprise 25 leading international companies and 45 national and regional industry...
) declared GSK guilty of misleading the public about paroxetine on US television. The British Medical Journal
British Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
quoted Charles Medawar, head of Social Audit:
This drug has been promoted for years as safe and easy to discontinue.... The fact that it can cause intolerable withdrawal symptoms of the kind that could lead to dependence is enormously important to patients, doctors, investors, and the company. GlaxoSmithKline has evaded the issue since it was granted a licence for paroxetine over 10 years ago, and the drug has become a blockbuster for them, generating about a tenth of their entire revenue. The company has been promoting paroxetine directly to consumers as 'non-habit forming' for far too long.
On 22 December 2006, a US court decided in Hoorman, et al. v. SmithKline Beecham Corp that individuals who purchased Paxil or Paxil CR (paroxetine) for a minor child may be eligible for benefits under a $63.8 million Proposed Settlement. The lawsuit stemmed from a consumer advocate protest against GSK. Since the FDA approved paroxetine in 1992, approximately 5,000 US citizens — and thousands more worldwide — have sued GSK. Most of these people feel they were not sufficiently warned in advance of the drug's side effects and addictive properties.
According to the Paxil Protest website, hundreds more lawsuits have been filed against GSK. The original Paxil Protest website was removed from the internet in 2006. It is understood that the action to take down the site was undertaken as part of a confidentiality agreement or 'gagging order' which the owner of the site entered into as part of a settlement of his action against GlaxoSmithKline. (However, in March 2007, the website Seroxat Secrets discovered that an archive of Paxil Protest site was still available on the internet via Archive.org)
In January 2007, according to the Seroxat Secrets website, the national group litigation in the United Kingdom, on behalf of several hundred people who allege withdrawal reactions through their use of the drug Seroxat, against GlaxoSmithKline plc, moved a step closer to the High Court in London, with the confirmation that Public Funding had been reinstated following a decision by the Public Interest Appeal Panel. The issue at the heart of this particular action claims Seroxat has a propensity to cause a withdrawal reaction. Hugh James Solicitors have confirmed this news.
In March 2008 the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency concluded that GSK should have warned of the possible ill effects of taking Seroxat a lot sooner. GSK could not be prosecuted under the old legislation.
As of 2008, GlaxoSmithKline's prescribing information acknowledges that "serious discontinuation symptoms" may occur.
Ribena
On 27 March 2007, GSK pleaded guilty in an Auckland District Court to 15 charges relating to misleading conduct brought against them under the Fair Trading ActFair Trading Act 1986
The Fair Trading Act 1986 is a statute of New Zealand. Its purpose is to encourage competition and to protect consumers from misleading and deceptive conduct and unfair trade practices.The Fair Trading Act provides for consumer information standards....
by New Zealand's Commerce Commission
Commerce Commission
The Commerce Commission is a New Zealand government agency charged with enforcing legislation that promotes competition in the country's markets and prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct by traders...
. The charges related to a popular blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
fruit drink Ribena
Ribena
Ribena is a British brand of fruit-based uncarbonated soft drink, carbonated soft drink and fruit drink concentrate produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The original and most common variety contains real blackcurrant juice.- History :...
which the company had led consumers to believe contained high levels of vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
. As part of a school science project, two 14-year-old school girls (Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo) from Pakuranga College
Pakuranga College
Pakuranga College is a secondary school in east Auckland, New Zealand. Since mid-2009, the current principal has been Michael Williams, following the departure of former principal Heather McRae to Diocesan School for Girls.-History:...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(New Zealand) discovered that ready-to-drink juice sold in 100ml containers contained very little vitamin C. Approaches by the two teens to the company didn't resolve the issue but after the matter was publicised on a national consumer affairs television show (Fair Go
Fair Go
Fair Go is a New Zealand consumer affairs television program now co-hosted by Gordon Harcourt and Alison Mau. First aired in 1977, it is one of New Zealand's longest-running and highest-rated programmes, frequently placed high in the New Zealand TV Guide list of most viewed programs.Fair Go...
) the matter came to the attention of the Commerce Commission (a government funded 'consumer watch-dog'). The commission's testing found that ready-to-drink Ribena contained no detectable vitamin C.
The company was fined $217,000 for the 15 charges. The number of charges was reduced from 88 and covered a period from March 2002 to March 2006. GSK maintains that it did not intend to mislead consumers and that the advertising claims were based on testing procedures that have since been changed. It was ordered to run an advertising campaign to provide the facts after it admitted misleading the public about the vitamin C component in its Ribena drink. Through its lawyer, Adam Ross, the company accepted Commerce Commission allegations that claims that ready-to-drink Ribena contained 7 mg of vitamin C per 100ml, or 44 per cent of the recommended daily intake, were incorrect. The company also agreed television advertising claiming the blackcurrants in Ribena had four times the vitamin C of oranges, while literally true, were likely to mislead consumers about the relative levels of vitamin C in Ribena.
Other
- In March 2006, California Attorney General Bill LockyerBill LockyerWilliam Westwood "Bill" Lockyer is an American politician. He is the current 32nd State Treasurer of California, elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. He has also served as California Attorney General and President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate...
announced that "GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will pay $14 million to resolve allegations that state-government programs paid inflated prices for the firm’s anti-depressant drug Paxil because GSK engaged in patent fraud, anti-trust violations and frivolous litigation to maintain a monopoly and block generic versions from entering the market."
- At the AGMAnnual general meetingAn annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
on 19 May 2003, GSK shareholders rejected a motion regarding a £22 million pay and benefits package for CEO, JP Garnier. This was the first time such a rebellion by shareholders against a major British company has occurred, but was regarded as a possible turning point against other so-called "fat cat" deals within executive pay structure.
- The company and its shareholders have been targeted by animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activists because it is a customer of the controversial animal-testing company, Huntingdon Life SciencesHuntingdon Life SciencesHuntingdon Life Sciences is a contract animal-testing company founded in 1952 in England, with facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire; Eye, Suffolk; New Jersey in the U.S., and Japan...
(HLS). HLS has been the subject since 1999 of an international campaign by Stop Huntingdon Animal CrueltyStop Huntingdon Animal CrueltyStop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty is an international animal rights campaign to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences , Europe's largest contract animal-testing laboratory. HLS tests medical and non-medical substances on around 75,000 animals every year, from rats to primates...
(SHAC) and the Animal Liberation FrontAnimal Liberation FrontThe Animal Liberation Front is an international, underground leaderless resistance that engages in illegal direct action in pursuit of animal liberation...
(ALF), ever since footage shot covertly by People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsPeople for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA), which was shown on British television, showed staff punching, kicking, screaming and laughing at the animals in their care. On 7 September 2005, the ALF detonated a bomb containing two litres of fuel and four pounds of explosives on the doorstop of the BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
home of Paul Blackburn, GSK's corporate controller, causing minor damage.
- In November 2005, AIDS Healthcare Foundation accused the company of boosting its short-term monopoly profit by not increasing production of the anti-AIDS drug AZTZidovudineZidovudine or azidothymidine is a nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor , a type of antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. It is an analog of thymidine....
despite a surge in demand, hence creating a shortage that affected many AIDS patients in Africa. GSK announced that it had halted clinical trials of the CCR5 entry inhibitor, aplavirocAplavirocAplaviroc is a CCR5 entry inhibitor developed for the treatment of HIV infection. It is developed by GlaxoSmithKlineIn October 2005, all studies of aplaviroc were discontinued due to liver toxicity concerns...
(GW873140), in HIV-infected, treatment-naive patients because of concerns about severe hepatotoxicity. In June 2006 GSK said it was further cutting, by about 30%, the not-for-profit prices it charges for some of these medicines in the world's poorest countries.
- In December 2003, Allen Roses, the then worldwide vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline, noted that most prescription medicines do not work on most people who take them. "The vast majority of drugs – more than 90 per cent – only work in 30 or 50 per cent of the people," Dr Roses said. "I wouldn't say that most drugs don't work. I would say that most drugs work in 30 to 50 per cent of people." Roses therefore advocates the use of pharmacogenomicsPharmacogenomicsPharmacogenomics is the branch of pharmacology which deals with the influence of genetic variation on drug response in patients by correlating gene expression or single-nucleotide polymorphisms with a drug's efficacy or toxicity...
to target just those patients who can benefit most from each medication.
- The U.S. Department of Justice announced in October 2010 that GlaxoSmithKline would pay $150 million in criminal fines and $600 million in civil penalties. GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay the $750 million settlement in response to criminal and civil complaints against the company stemming from production of improperly made and adulterated drugs at their subsidiary SB Pharmco Puerto Rico Inc in Cidra, Puerto RicoCidra, Puerto RicoCidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo...
.
- In 2003 GSK signed a corporate integrity agreement and paid $88 million in a civil fine for overcharging MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
for the anti-depressant Paxil, and nasal-allergy spray Flonase. Later that year GSK also ran afoul of the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
(IRS) and was facing a demand for $7.8 billion in backdated taxes and interest, the highest in IRS history.
- On 26 August 2004, New York State Attorney GeneralNew York State Attorney GeneralThe New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...
Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
's office announced it had settled legal action against GlaxoSmithKline. The settlement required GSK to post a registry which would include much more information about pretrial and clinical drug study results than what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other pharmaceutical companies had thus far been willing to make public. Attorney General Spitzer hailed the settlement as "transformational in that it will provide doctors and patients access to the clinical testing data necessary to make informed judgments." This part of the settlement was the main objective of the New York AG and Rose Firestein, who worked in the office of the AG and initially argued the case should be undertaken. As for the monetary compensation, both sides finally agreed to $2.5 million. On 3 August 2004, shortly before the settlement, Senator Charles GrassleyChuck GrassleyCharles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
, a Republican senator from IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
sent a letter to GSK, stating that he was concerned that "some drug companies" may not have provided the FDA with all the information at their disposal. His letter was spurred by statements earlier in 2008 by Dr. Andrew Mosholder, an FDA official, who had told senators at a 2 February 2004 hearing that "GlaxoSmithKline, in his opinion, was attempting to 'sugar-coat' the adverse effects of Paxil on children by 'miscoding' suicidal ideations and/or suicidal behaviour." Glaxo officials never commented on whether there was any connection between Senator Grassley's letter and their decision to pursue a settlement with the New York State attorney general's lawsuit.
- On 12 September 2006 GSK settled the largest tax dispute in IRS history agreeing to pay $3.1 billion. At issue in the case were Zantac and the other Glaxo Group heritage products sold from 1989–2005. The case was about an area of taxation dealing with intracompany "transfer pricing"—determining the share of profit attributable to the US subsidiaries of GSK and subject to tax by the IRS. Taxes for large multi-divisional companies are paid to revenue authorities based on the profits reported in particular tax jurisdictions, so how profits were allocated among various legacy Glaxo divisions based on the functions they performed was central to the dispute in this case.
- In February 2007, the Serious Fraud Office in the UK launched an investigation into allegations of GSK being involved in the discredited oil-for-food sanctions regime in Iraq. They are accused of paying bribes to Saddam Hussein's regime.
External links
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Quote, profile, regulatory filings & news - GlaxoSmithKline will overtake Pfizer to become world's largest pharmaceutical company by 2012 URCH Publishing (Press Release)