D ▁facility ▁in ▁Be cken ham , ▁Kent , ▁and ▁opening ▁a ▁Medic ines ▁Research ▁Centre ▁in ▁Steven age , ▁H ert ford shire . ▁Also ▁that ▁year , ▁Gla x o ▁Well come ▁acquired ▁the ▁California - based ▁Aff y max , ▁a ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁combin atorial ▁chem istry . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Gla x o ▁Well come ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁world ' s ▁third - larg est ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁company ▁by ▁reven ues ▁( be hind ▁Nov art is ▁and ▁Mer ck ), ▁with ▁a ▁global ▁market ▁share ▁of ▁around ▁ 4 ▁per ▁cent . ▁Its ▁products ▁included ▁Im ig ran ▁( for ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁mig raine ), ▁sal but am ol ▁( V ent olin ) ▁( for ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁ast h ma ), ▁Z ov ira x ▁( for ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁col ds ores ), ▁and ▁Ret ro vir ▁and ▁Ep iv ir ▁( for ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁A ID S ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁dru gs ▁for ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁ast h ma ▁and ▁H IV / A ID S . ▁It ▁employed ▁ 5 9 , 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁including ▁ 1 3 , 4 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁had ▁ 7 6 ▁operating ▁companies ▁and ▁ 5 0 ▁manufact uring ▁facilities ▁world wide , ▁and ▁seven ▁of ▁its ▁products ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁world