SmithKline & French
Encyclopedia
Smith, Kline & French was a pharmaceutical company
, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline
.
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 Smith and Co had become in the meantime, as a bookkeeper. In 1875, he took on additional responsibilities as a salesman and added many new and large accounts, as a reward the company, Mahlon K Smith and Company, was renamed into Smith, Kline and Company.
In 1891, Smith, Kline and Company acquired French, Richards and Company, which provided the company with a greater portfolio of consumer brands. In 1929 Smith, Kline and French Company was renamed into Smith Kline and French Laboratories and the company put more focus on research in order to sustain its business. In 1968, the company acquired Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
in Belgium
and changed its name in SmithKline-RIT.
SmithKline acquired Allergan in 1982, an eye and skincare business, and merged with Beckman Instruments, Inc., a company specialising in diagnostics and measurement instruments and supplies. After the merger the company was renamed SmithKline Beckman.
SmithKline Beckman and The Beecham Group plc
merged in 1989 to form SmithKline Beecham plc.
Pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...
, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
.
History
In 1830, John K. SmithJohn 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 a drugstore in Philadelphia, and his younger brother, George, joined him in 1841 to form John K Smith & Co. 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 Smith and Shoemaker, as John K Smith and Co had become in the meantime, as a bookkeeper. In 1875, he took on additional responsibilities as a salesman and added many new and large accounts, as a reward the company, Mahlon K Smith and Company, was renamed into Smith, Kline and Company.
In 1891, Smith, Kline and Company acquired French, Richards and Company, which provided the company with a greater portfolio of consumer brands. In 1929 Smith, Kline and French Company was renamed into Smith Kline and French Laboratories and the company put more focus on research in order to sustain its business. In 1968, the company acquired 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...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and changed its name in SmithKline-RIT.
SmithKline acquired Allergan in 1982, an eye and skincare business, and merged with Beckman Instruments, Inc., a company specialising in diagnostics and measurement instruments and supplies. After the merger the company was renamed SmithKline Beckman.
SmithKline Beckman and The Beecham Group plc
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:...
merged in 1989 to form SmithKline Beecham plc.