british pharmaceutical group glaxosmithkline on wednesday announced surging net profits in the first quarter on strong sales profit after tax jumped 68 percent to £18 billion 23 billion 21 billion euros compared with the start of 2021 we have delivered strong firstquarter results in this landmark year for gsk as we separate consumer healthcare and start a new period of sustained growth chief executive emma walmsley said in the earnings statement our results reflect further good momentum across speciality medicines and vaccines including the return to strong sales growth for shingles vaccine shingrix and continuing pipeline progress walmsley is seeking to reshape gsk after facing fierce investor criticism over the companys delay in producing covid jabs and treatments however in february canada approved a covid19 vaccine developed jointly by gsk and canadian group medicago the british company is meanwhile awaiting eu regulatory approval of its covid19 vaccine produced alongside french peer sanofi aside from covid vaccines gsk earlier this month agreed to buy us group sierra oncology for 19 billion gsk is also in the process of demerging its consumer healthcare arm haleon  a joint venture with us peer pfizer  to concentrate on its main pharmaceutical business after rejecting a bid worth £50 billion for the unit from consumer goods titan unilever gsk plans to list the newlynamed haleon on the london stock market gsk continues to see very good momentum in consumer healthcare demonstrating strong potential of this business ahead of its proposed demerger in july to become haleon walmsley added wednesday