GlaxoSmithKline plc

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Gargantuan Glaxo

Forged from four sizeable and formerly independent pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline is one of the industry’s giants.  In addition to prescription medications, Glaxo manufactures vaccines, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, oral care products and nutrition drinks, marketing more than 1,200 different brands in more than 140 countries worldwide.  In fact, Glaxo is Europe’s largest pharmaceutical company and the world’s second largest in terms of sales; its massive proportions are reflected throughout the organization.  The company’s $5 billion annual research and development budget is among the largest in the industry—it spends roughly $14 million per day (or $583,000 per hour!) on its studies.  And Glaxo has many resources for selling its drugs, too—a 40,000-strong sales force keeps products moving out of the warehouses and into the market.  The result of these expenditures?  Glaxo’s annual pharmaceutical sales make up about 7 percent of the global market.

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