British Drug Houses

British Drug Houses (BDH) was a prominent British pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturer founded in 1908 through the merger of several historic London drug firms. The company was a pioneer in the large-scale production of essential medical products, notably becoming one of the first British companies to manufacture insulin and a wide range of synthetic hormones and vitamins. BDH was also globally recognized for its laboratory chemicals division, which established the "AnalaR" standards for high-purity analytical reagents. In 1973, the company was acquired by Glaxo, and its laboratory chemicals business was subsequently sold to Merck KGaA in 1987. Today, the BDH legacy continues primarily as a brand for laboratory reagents within the Merck KGaA portfolio.