The Middlesex, UK-headquartered company created six research centers with therapeutic concentrations in 2001 following the merger of Glaxo Wellcome and Smith-Kline Beecham. These centers mimic nimble biotechs, with streamlined bureaucracy and direct financial incentives for scientists. But some observers question whether the centers will resolve research efficiency problems endemic to colossal pharmaceutical companies. "I hope this works," says Hemant Shah, a drug industry analyst with HKS & Co., of Warren, NJ. "But the problem is these companies are now looking for blockbuster drugs. They are attacking complex diseases and these [drugs] are not very easy to achieve. So it's been very difficult and will remain difficult to make a change."
Garnier explains that, with sales last year of nearly $30 billion, the company has the financial resources to give it access to promising targets. GlaxoSmithKline has invested in genomics research that provides candidates for further exploration and in high-throughput screening ...
