SB Focuses On Restructuring And Growth

Now that SmithKline Beecham has all the major pieces it needs for success, its focus in 1995 will be on restructuring and generating synergies between its business segments, Jan Leschly, chief executive, said at SB's Business Review Meeting, which took place simultaneously in London and New York last week. There are seven reasons why the company will be a successful global mega company, he added.

Mr Leschly said that the company's pipeline is very good. "SB has seven New Chemical Entities and four novel vaccines in Phase III clinical trials; that figure is expected to rise to 20 by the end of 1995," he said. He added that the company's investments in genomics would bring results for both the pharmaceuticals and diagnostics business segments.

He said that the acquisition of Diversified Pharmaceutical Services gives SB a competitive advantage in managed care at the moment specifically in the USA, but later this will spread elsewhere. DPS will begin to contribute to earnings in 1996, without synergies being taken into account, he noted. "With them," he said, "the benefits are even greater."