300 years of GSK
Three centuries of innovation
1715
Plough Court Pharmacy
established in London
by Silvanus Bevan,
which later becomes
Allen & Hanburys Ltd.
1981
Zovirax launched for viral
herpes infections, one of
many life-saving drugs rationally
designed by Hitchings
and Elion.
1987
A new medicine Retrovir (AZT)
by Wellcome becomes the first
approved treatment for AIDs.
2018
To support advances in the
development of new medicines,
GSK embarks on a major research
initiative to sequence genetic
data from 500,000 volunteer
participants in the UK Biobank
healthcare resource.
1830 1848
Thomas Beecham launches
1880
Burroughs Wellcome
1883
The Horlick brothers patent the 1884 1891
Smith, Kline & Company acquires
John K Smith and his the Beecham’s Pills business & Company established process of purifying and drying Burroughs Wellcome French, Richards and Company.
brother-in-law open a drugstore in England. By the early twentieth in London by pharmacists milk with malt, a product that & Company registers The original company that John
in Philadelphia, which would century, production is at one Henry Wellcome and later becomes known as ‘Tabloid’ as a trademark K Smith founded went through
later become Smith, million pills per day. Silas Burroughs. Horlicks Malted Milk. to describe its numerous name and ownership
Kline & Company. compressed changes before becoming Smith,
tablets. Kline & French Company.
1969
Ventolin launched by
1944
By mid-1944, 80% of the UK’s
1936
Wellcome Trust’s first
1906
‘Glaxo’ trademark
1894
Wellcome Physiological
1972
Amoxycillin discovered.
Allen & Hanburys as
a treatment for asthma.
penicillin doses are routed
through Glaxo Laboratories’
Greenford site.
chairman Sir Henry Dale
wins Nobel Prize in
Medicine. Sir John Vane
1924
Joseph Nathan & Co.
is registered.
Joseph Nathan & Co. Ltd.
realised that selling dried milk
Research Labs established,
focused on biological
experimentation including
Scientists at Beecham (1982) and George launches its first as an infant food called for a early forms of vaccines.
Research Laboratories Hitchings, Gertrude Elion pharmaceutical product, more appealing name than
discover amoxycillin and Sir James Black (1988) a vitamin D supplement Defiance, the name used in
and launch Amoxil, later win the same award. called Ostelin. New Zealand. They started
which will become with Lacto, and by adding and
an antibiotic staple. changing letters, the name
Glaxo was born.
1988 1995 2000 2004
Zantac by Glaxo becomes
the world’s biggest prescription Glaxo and Wellcome merge to
Merger of Glaxo Wellcome and
SmithKline Beecham creates
Clinical Trial Register launched.
GSK is the first company to
drug for stomach ulcers. form Glaxo Wellcome plc., the GlaxoSmithKline plc, known launch an online site of clinical
world’s largest pharmaceutical as GSK. A year later, we acquire trial data accessible to all.
company. Block Drug Co. adding a wider
range of consumer products to
1989
Merger of SmithKline Beckman
1998
our portfolio.
SmithKline Beecham and the
and the Beecham Group to form World Health Organization join
SmithKline Beecham plc. forces to eliminate lymphatic filariasis
(elephantiasis) by the year 2020.
2017
GSK launches three new
2016
Sensodyne becomes 2015 2014
Phase III trial concludes for the
2012
GSK is an official supplier to
2009
Stiefel acquired and
products: Shingrix, a vaccine
to help prevent shingles in
people aged 50 or older;
GSK’s first consumer brand
to reach £1bn in sales.
Major 3-part transaction
with Novartis.
GSK and Novartis create joint
world’s first malaria vaccine
candidate, RTS,S. The pilot
implementation will begin in
the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games, providing
official laboratory services for
2011
Human Genome Sciences
ViiV Healthcare launched.
GSK becomes a leader in
skincare with the acquisition
triple therapy inhaler Trelegy Consumer Healthcare venture. Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. anti-doping measures. and GSK receive approval of Stiefel. GSK and Pfizer launch
Ellipta, for patients with GSK acquires the Novartis for Benlysta, the first new ViiV Healthcare, a company
COPD; and Juluca, the first global Vaccines business and lupus treatment in focused on delivering advances
2-drug regimen for people divests its marketed Oncology 50 years. in treatment and care for
living with HIV. portfolio business to Novartis. HIV communities.