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| Industry | Pharmaceutical |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1830 (1830) |
| Founder | John K. Smith |
| Defunct | 1989; 35 years ago (1989) |
| Fate | Merged with The Beecham Group plc to form SmithKline Beecham |
| Successor | SmithKline Beecham (1989–2000) GlaxoSmithKline (2000–2022) GSK plc (2022–Present) |
Smith, Kline & French (SKF) was an American pharmaceutical company.
In 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 ThérapeutiquesinBelgium.[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]
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