Providing Healthcare Solutions

G laxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest multinationals in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. It started as a trading house in 1919, became Glaxo Laboratories in 1950's and started the primary production of vaccines at Worli in Mumbai in 1956. After four years it opened the manufacturing facility for pharmaceuticals.

In 1957, it began manufacturing vitamin A and betamethasone at a new plant at Thane using imported raw materials. Glaxo Labs became a limited company in 1968 and introduced animal health products. It set up its R&D laboratory at Thane in 1971. The Glaxo Laboratories became Glindia Limited in 1987 and after two years its name was again changed to Glaxo India Limited. In 2001 Glaxo India Limited and SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals (India) Limited merged to form GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Other than pharma, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals has two other businesses -Agrivet Farm Care (AFC) and Qualigens Fine Chemicals (QFC). AFC is the major player in the animal health sector with an estimated market share of 10 percent. It has a significant presence in the cattle segment and also markets a range of specialized poultry products. Agrivet manufactures and markets high quality, safe and effective feed supplements and medicines for livestock, poultry, sheep, equine, canine and aquaculture. In 2000 it has entered into a tie up with Merial, the world's largest animal health company, to market poultry vaccines.

QFC has an estimated market share of 29 percent in the laboratory chemicals market. It also has a significant presence in the diagnostics business. QFC has entered into tie-ups with leading international names in diagnostic kits to market products that give clinicians strong support in diagnosis. These include serodiagnostic and biochemistry kits. It introduces new technologies in these areas.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has three manufacturing units in India, located at Thane, Nasik and Mysore. The 2000 strong field force, backed by a nation wide network of over 4000 stockists, ensures that the products are readily available across the nation. This combined with the quality of the products means that GSK is able to strengthen the hands of doctors by offering superior treatment and healthcare solutions. Glaxo-SmithKline produces a range of vaccines that protect against the different infectious diseases.

The company is presently working on a range of recombinant therapeutic drugs. Its sales from the vaccines division stood Rs 80 crore for the year ending December 2003 and looking at crossing over Rs 120 crore for the year ending December 2004. The company is set to post healthy growth in the domestic market with products aligned in its parent portfolio. These may make an entry into India in a product patent regime that comes into effect from January 2005.