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Layoffs, consolidation at GSK Consumer Health
GlaxoSmithKline is paring away at its Consumer Healthcare unit, with a series of layoffs and cost-cutting consolidations. One big move: the company is combining its weight control group--which markets the Alli weight-loss med--and its smoking cessation group, and transferring the whole thing to New Jersey from Pennsylvania. The combination will be called the behavioral sciences group, a GSK exec told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Frankly, there are a lot of similarities in the behavior required to lose weight and stop smoking," she said.
Overall, the Consumer Healthcare division has about 1,200 U.S. employees, 500 of them in Pennsylvania, 400 in New Jersey, and 300 field-sales folks. The company wouldn't specify just how many jobs will be lost in the restructuring-slash-consolidation. You'll recall that some GSK critics were prodding management to sell Consumer Healthcare last year, but new CEO Andrew Witty quashed that idea. It contributed some $2 billion to the company's $45 billion in 2007 sales.
- see the post at Pharmalot
- check out the Post-Gazette piece
Related Articles:
Witty: Diversifying and derisking GSK
GSK's Witty opts out of generics market
GSK shakes up R&D
Behind the scenes of GSK's overhaul
Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 1:07pm | July 18, 2008
GSK Consumer Division does NOT have 300 sales people, they have a broker network overseen by Key account Managers, there is about 120 nationally.
I worked for this division when GSK had a salesforce and division office, there is no more since the introduction of EDI ordering for most drug and food and drug/combo - Mass merchandisers.
By Anonymous in NJ | Posted 8:56am | July 21, 2008
In addition to the consume reps who are responsible for brokers and accounts like Walmart, Target, etc....there are also medical sales people (generally part-time positions) and dental sales people. So, it shoudl total up to 300 as stated in the article.
By Anonymous | Posted 8:08pm | October 1, 2008
At one time the part-time people were not going to be considered employees anymore. GSK was considering a Contract Sales Organization to handle this. Seems like a big expense for p/t people. Could this be the re org the article is refering to?
By Anonymous | Posted 12:11pm | October 11, 2008
After being laid off from GSK Consumer Healthcare in December 2006, I came to realize that so called "Innovation" was just a figment of many people's imagination. The handwriting was on the wall then as it is certainly now.
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