Smith, Kline & French (SKF) was an American pharmaceutical company that is now a part of the British group GSK plc.
 | |
| Industry | Pharmaceutical |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1830 |
| Founder | John K. Smith |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Fate | Merged with The Beecham Group plc to form SmithKline Beecham |
| Successor | SmithKline Beecham (1989–2000) GlaxoSmithKline (2000–2022) GSK plc (2022–Present) |
History
editIn 1830, John K. Smith 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 the company, 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.[1]
In 1891, Smith, Kline and Company acquired French, Richards and Company, founded in 1844 by Clayton French and William Richards, which provided the company with a greater portfolio of consumer brands. The combined business became the Smith, Kline and French Company.[1]
In 1932, SKF chemist Gordon Alles was awarded a patent for amphetamine.[1]
In 1968, the company acquired Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques in Belgium.[2]
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.[1]
SmithKline Beckman and Beecham Group merged in 1989 to form SmithKline Beecham plc. In 2000, SmithKline Beecham merged with Glaxo Wellcome to form GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Glenn E. Ullyot; Barbara Hodsdon Ullyot; Leo B. Slater (2000). "The Metamorphosis of Smith-Kline & French Laboratories to Smith Kline Beecham: 1925-1998" (PDF). Bull. Hist. Chem. 25 (1). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Chemical Sciences. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ "Gates Foundation Finances Leuven University Research for Coronavirus Treatment". The Low Countries. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ Petersen, Andrew Ross Sorkin With Melody (17 January 2000). "Glaxo and SmithKline Agree To Form Largest Drugmaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 June 2020.