GSK PLC

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GlaxoSmithKline renamed itself GSK in 2022 after spinning off its consumer health business.

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GSK PLC is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with research-and-development centers in the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, and China. The company develops medicines and vaccines focused on infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory illnesses, immunology, inflammation, and cancer. Headquartered in London, GSK operates in about 70 countries and has more than 65,000 employees worldwide.

GSK’s pharmaceutical and vaccine products have included Shingrix, for shingles, and Arexvy, for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Before spinning off its consumer health business into Haleon in 2022, the company also sold products such as Sensodyne toothpaste, Panadol pain reliever, and Centrum vitamins.

GSK traces its origins to several pharmaceutical and consumer health businesses founded in Britain, the United States, and New Zealand during the 18th and 19th centuries.

One of its oldest predecessors was London’s Plough Court Pharmacy, established by Silvanus Bevan in 1715 and later associated with Allen and Hanburys, Ltd.

In the United States, John K. Smith opened a drugstore in Philadelphia in 1830. After his brother George joined him in 1841, the business became John K. Smith and Co. The company later became Smith and Shoemaker, which hired bookkeeper Mahlon Kline in 1865. Ten years later, the business was renamed Smith, Kline and Co. The company later evolved into SmithKline.

Another predecessor company, Glaxo, originated in New Zealand in 1873, when Joseph Nathan founded a trading company in Wellington. During the 20th century, Glaxo, Wellcome, SmithKline, and Beecham grew through mergers, acquisitions, and pharmaceutical research. In 2000, Glaxo Wellcome merged with SmithKline Beecham to form GlaxoSmithKline.

In 2022, the company shortened its corporate name to GSK after spinning off its consumer health business, naming it Haleon PLC (HLN). Under Chief Executive Officer Emma Walmsley, who led the company from 2017 to 2025, GSK increased its focus on vaccines and specialty medicines while expanding investment in research and development.

The company also expanded its emphasis on biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and vaccines for infectious diseases. In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved GSK’s RSV vaccine Arexvy for adults age 60 and older, making it the first RSV vaccine for that age group.

In 2026, Luke Miels succeeded Walmsley as CEO. Under Miels, GSK has continued to focus on vaccines, oncology, respiratory medicine, HIV treatments, and other specialty medicines while increasing investment in research and development.