Huddersfield-based OTC medicine manufacturer Thornton & Ross has acquired five brands from GlaxoSmithKline – four skin care brands and one cough remedy – in a deal it hopes will drive growth in the pharmacy sector.

The brands being acquired from GSK through the new contract are: Oilatum, an emollient that is currently focused in the paediatric market; antiseptic brand Savlon; itch relief cream Eurax; Polytar, a shampoo used for scalp conditions including psoriasisl and Tixylix, a children’s cough liquid brand.

Thornton & Ross, which has been part of the Germany-based STADA pharmaceutical group since 2013, said completion of the deal was expected by August 2019.

The acquisition follows “over a decade of consistent growth,” the company said, adding that it is “currently enjoying double-digit growth”.

Roger Scarlett-Smith, head and executive vice president of Thornton & Ross, said: “These acquisitions demonstrate our determination to work with and support the pharmacy sector and our ambition to be the leading company in consumer health.”

“We very much believe that the strong relationship we have in the pharmacy sector is crucial to our ongoing success.”