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Corporate responsibility
How we do business
Our core business – the research and production of medicines – makes a valuable contribution to society. For many people our medicines are, quite literally, life-saving.
Corporate responsibility defines how we achieve our goals. The way we conduct our business affects our relationship with groups such as:
- patients and consumers who use our products
- doctors who prescribe our medicines
- governments that regulate our industry
Our reputation with these people and the trust they place in our products is critical to our business.
But our pride in what we do does not mean we can ignore issues associated with the research, manufacture and sale of medicines - from the publication of research results and marketing practices of pharmaceutical sales representatives, to the use of animals in research and the environmental impacts of our manufacturing processes.
Employment practices
We treat our employees with respect and dignity, encourage diversity and ensure fair treatment through all phases of employment. We provide a safe and healthy working environment, support employees to perform to their full potential and to take responsibility for the performance and reputation of the business.
Ethics
By demonstrating to stakeholders that we meet high ethical standards in all aspects of our work, and that we are committed to helping address healthcare challenges, we can maintain their support and retain our ‘licence to operate’. Our reputation, the standards we operate to and our employment practices also affect our ability to attract, retain and motivate the best people.
Access to medicines
Millions of people in both developed and developing countries cannot obtain the medicines they need. This is part of a broader problem of access to healthcare which remains a significant challenge in many parts of the world. The main responsibility for addressing this problem rests with governments, but all stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry, have important contributions to make.
We make our HIV/AIDS treatments, anti-malarials and vaccines available to the world’s poorest countries at preferential prices. We negotiate prices with middle-income countries on a case-by-case basis. We also support under-served communities worldwide through donations, funding, education and practical support, see Community investment.
In 2006 we supplied 86 million Combivir and Epivir tablets at not-for-profit prices to developing countries. Our licensees supplied over 120 million tablets of generic GSK/ARVs – bringing the total number (both GSK produced and generic versions from our licensees) to over 206 million.
Clinical trial information and results
Wherever possible we publish clinical trials results in peer-reviewed journals, or in conference abstracts. Our online Clinical Study Register (previously Clinical Trial Register), launched in 2004, contains results and protocol information from GSK-sponsored trials of marketed medicines. Anyone can use the internet to access the Register.
Environment
We will operate in an environmentally responsible way by managing the effect we have on the environment. We measure our performance and set challenging performance targets and aim to improve the efficiency of all our activities to minimise material and energy use and waste generated. We aim to find opportunities to use renewable materials and to recycle our waste.
Research and development
We have 13 clinical development programmes targeting eight diseases particularly relevant to developing countries. We believe we are the only pharmaceutical company researching both medicines and vaccines for the World Health Organization’s three priority diseases - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and are proud to have developed some of the leading global medicines in these fields. Much of this research is conducted through Public-Private Partnerships.
Animal research is essential to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new medicines and is also a legal requirement. We are committed to the 3Rs – reduction, refinement and replacement of animal testing. Despite a significant increase in R&D activity since 1994 the number of animals used is broadly similar to 11 years ago.
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