Glaxo Wellcome’s planned acquisition of rival drug maker SmithKlineBeecham would do more than create the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. The deal announced yesterday and worth about $76 billion in stock is a clear sign that the merger trend now reshaping other industries is accelerating in the drug business. Just last week, Pfizer emerged as the likely winner in a battle with American Home Products for US drug maker Warner-Lambert, while Monsanto is in the process of merging with Pharmacia and Upjohn. Industry analysts predict other blue-chip names, including Eli Lilly, Schering-Plough, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and even merger-averse Merck won’t be far behind.