GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PLC is a medical, pharmaceutical and biological company headquartered in the United Kingdom. It is the second biggest pharmaceutical and research business that has an extensive portfolio of medical products covering anti-infectives, respiratory, oncology, central nervous system, gastro-intestinal/metabolic products and even vaccines. It likewise has a Consumer Healthcare operation, which consists of the top oral healthcare products, food drinks and over-the-counter medicine. GSK is found on the London Stock Exchange, and is also an FTSE 100 Index constituent.

Founded in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline came to be through the merger of SmithKline Beecham (formed from Beecham and SmithKline) and GlaxoWellcome (from the mergers of Glaxo Laboratories and Burroughs Wellcome and Company).

Since it is the second biggest pharmaceutical business in the world, according to net income, GSK had sales totaling up to £22.7 billion and made a profit of £7.8 billion two years ago in 2007. The company hires people of about 110,000 internationally, including around 40,000 for marketing and sales. The main office is at the GSK House in Brentford, London, UK, with its other US-based offices established in Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina and its customer products department in the Pittsburgh town of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Aside from North Carolina, it has other research and development main offices, specifically in Philadelphia and in South East England.

Apart from being in the London Stock Exchange, GlaxoSmithKline is also in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Its main and largest market is located in the United States, with about 45% of revenue, despite having branches in approximately 70 nations.

On November 16th of this year (2009), the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) declared that a vaccine for the H1N1 influenza protection manufactured by a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline’s ID Biomedical Corporation would join the four vaccines that were approved last September 15th. The alli diet pill was another major marketing success for GlaxoSmithKline. Alli diet is the first over the counter weight loss pill that works by eliminating the fat from a person’s body. So far, more than four million people have tried the alli diet weight loss program.

The CEO of GlaxoSmithKline is currently Andrew Witty.