Beecham pharmaceutical company

Beechams is one of the UK’s longest standing British brands, dating back to 1842. Born in Curbridge in Oxfordshire, Thomas Beecham became a shepherd's boy at the age of 8 and it is in this role that he learnt about herbal medicine.

He invented a laxative pill. In 1842, Thomas Beecham launched the Beecham Pills laxative business in England. For a while he worked as the village postman in Kidlington but in 1842, Thomas Beecham launched the Beecham Pills laxative business in England. Beecham’s Pills claimed to cure ‘bilious and nervous disorders’.

The success enabled him to open a shop in Wigan in 1847. He created a network of agents throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire and Beecham opened its first factory in 1849 in St Helens, Lancashire.

Beecham in 1890 spent over £100,000 on all forms of publicity. By early twentieth century production is at one million pills per day. Having acquired brands such as Macleans and Lucozade, Beechams merges with SmithKline and formed SmithKline Beecham Plc in 1989. In 1998 SmithKline Beecham and the WHO join forces to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) by the year 2020.
Beecham pharmaceutical company

History of GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline was formed through multiple mergers and acquisitions, and traces its roots to several parts of the world.

GlaxoSmithKline founded in 1715 as Plough Court Pharmacy in London by a Quaker Silvanus Bevan and it was beginning of GlaxoSmithKline.

In 1830s, John K. Smith and his brother George formed what became the leading drug wholesaling company in the United States in Philadelphia. Mahlon Kline joined Smith in 1865.

The foundation of Glaxo emerged in New Zealand under the direction of Joseph Nathan. He founded Joseph Nathan & Co, a business trading in a range of goods as diverse as whale teeth and patent medicine.

The name Glaxo was created in 1906 as a trademark for the powdered milk that was exported from New Zealand to England.

It was not until 1924 that Glaxo produced its first pharmaceutical product, the vitamin D preparation Ostelin.

Glaxo Wellcome was formed in 1995 combination of Glaxo Holdings and Wellcome PLC.

Burroughs Wellcome Company was formed in London in 1880.

In 1842, Thomas Beecham launched the Beecham Pills laxative business in England. He invented a laxative pills.

Beecham then merged with SmithKline Beckman and formed SmithKline Beecham in 1989.

GlaxoSmithKline was formed when Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged in January 2000. The $74 billion merger dropping both the Beecham and Wellcome names.

History of GlaxoSmithKline