Pfizer is about to decide to sell the BU Consumer health which boasts several OTC products, including the famous Multicentrum. The operation would bring up to 14 billion dollars into Pfizer's coffers. Thus the CEO of Pfizer, Ian Read, who had decided not to divide the company, could think of divesting only a few units. At the moment, these are rumors collected by the agency Reuters.
November 14, 2016 – Daily Health Industry
The business unit generated $3.5 billion in sales last year. While the rumors don't specify whether the unit will be sold or some other type of deal will be used or some other formula, such as creating a spin off tax-free, as Pfizer did for the Zoetis veterinary drug business a few years ago. As for the $14 billion Pfizer could earn from the sale of the BU, Evercore analyst John Scott recalled the case of Merck.
The interest generated around the sale of the BU dedicated toanimal health he raised the price from 10 billion dollars to 14 that Bayer paid for the purchase. According to Scott, however, Pfizer's willingness to engage in corporate restructuring operations is evident, despite the failed merger attempt with Allergan; in fact it was Ian Read himself who spoke of the possibility of selling the business dedicated to Consumer health, specifying that this business unit is also subjected to stress tests to understand if it is more convenient to keep it inside or outside the company.
The statements made when third quarter data was released, which showed sales increased 8% to $13 billion for the quarter, but earnings fell 38% due to higher expenses faced by the company. In the event of the sale of the OTC medicines branch, however, there would be several companies interested in purchasing. One of them is the company specializing in this type of medicine Reckitt Benckiser, whose CEO, Rakesh Kapoor, said last year that he was "very interested" in a possible purchase.
And GSK has also given more and more space to this sector since it made a joint venture with Novartis in 2014. A unit that this year exceeded projections with good sales results despite initial doubts from investors, who saw margins of gain too tight.
