GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.(Vendor Close-ups).

Alli 60 capsule starter pack, originally uploaded by size8jeans.

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK) is one of the world's largest over-the-counter consumer health care products companies. Its more than 30 well-known brands include the leading smoking cessation products Nicorette, NicoDerm CQ and Commit; alli, the only O-T-C weight loss aid approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and medicine cabinet staples Aquafresh, Sensodyne, and Tums.

Alli, Nicorette gum, the NicoDerm CQ patch and Commit lozenge are all about helping people make behavioral changes. The company not only provides the products to help people with such changes as stopping smoking and losing weight, but also offers a wealth of support along their journey to healthier living.

At GSK, providing access to products that address some of the nation's most pressing health care issues, including smoking and obesity, is a top focus. The smoking cessation brands are about bringing real hope to smokers through relevant science and by continuing to deliver innovation to help improve the odds of a successful quit attempt.

For weight control, alli is different. In a market known for exaggeration and quick fixes, alli provides an honest approach to sustained weight loss. Alli's unique positioning is based on proven efficacy, resulting in the only O-T-C weight loss product with FDA approval.

And despite the challenges of the economic climate, alli and the smoking control businesses at GSK are growing significantly.

GSK also has a range of oral care products spanning a lifetime and variety of needs--from Aquafresh and Polident to Sensodyne for teeth sensitivity and newly acquired Biotene for dry mouth. The company's focus in oral care is on expert endorsement of science-based products, and persuasive advertising that effectively communicates the science benefits in an accessible way for consumers.

Recent successful introductions from GSK in the category include Sensodyne ProNamel, ProNamel Gentle Whitening and ProNamel for children; Aquafresh Advanced Whitening; and Aquafresh Advanced EnameLock.

With the Sensodyne brand, GSK now has four of the top 10 SKUs in the entire oral care category, the company says. Sensodyne (up 24%) is leading the way, but Aquafresh and Biotene are growing strongly too. Overall, GSK has taken 55% of all the growth in the oral care market this year, according to the company.

Other O-T-Cs from GSK cover categories ranging from digestives (Tums) to dermatology (Abreva) and cough/cold (Contac), and the company is seeing significant growth in various segments. Such O-T-C wellness brands as Abreva, Beano and Tums are ahead of the market with innovations that are driving their respective categories, according to the company.

GSK has also identified a number of brands that consumers have trusted for decades and have a great deal of equity behind them. These include Citrucel, Oscal, Chap-et, Contac, Debrox, Ecotrin, Feosol, Gaviscon, Geritol, Gly-oxide, Massengill, Nytol, Phazyme, Sominex, Tagamet, Targon and Vivarin. Many of them can make the claim of being the No. 1 doctor-recommended products in their categories. And now they have been reintroduced to the public as a unified portfolio that is designed to help consumers enhance their overall health and wellness.

GSK wants to be the fastest-growing consumer health care business. It will address future challenges in a way it believes will transform it into a company that delivers more growth, less risk and an improved financial performance. Accomplishing these things will prove to be a win-win-win for GSK, its retail trade partners and, ultimately, consumers.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

1000 GSK Dr., MoonTownship, Pa. 15108

Phone: (412) 200.4000

Web site: www.gsk.com

Key contact: Janet Carter Smith, vice president of corporate development

Source Citation
"GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare." MMR 26.17 (2009): 63. InfoTrac Small Business eCollection. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. .

Gale Document Number:A212105187

Disclaimer:This information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care