altro concorrente per la divisione farmaci non prescrivibili
Glaxo
GlaxoSmithKline Reportedly To Bid For Pfizer Unit
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2 June 2006, 08:42am ET
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) is reportedly finalizing a bid for Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE) over-the-counter drugs division, several media outlets reported on Friday.
GlaxoSmithKline is looking to bid around $15 billion for the Pfizer unit, according to reports in the Financial Times, The Times, and others.
The FT reported that Glaxo wouldn't go higher than $16 billion, but would bid at least $14 billion. The Times report suggested Glaxo would spend up to $15 billion.
A spokesperson for GlaxoSmithKline declined to comment.
If GlaxoSmithKline succeeds, it would become the world's largest maker of nonprescription drugs.
GlaxoSmithKline shares at 1210 GMT were down 8 pence, or 0.5%, at 1488 pence in a higher London market.
U.K.-based Reckitt Benckiser (RB.LN), Germany's Bayer AG (BAY), Colgate Palmolive (CL) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) of the U.S. also are reportedly interested in the Pfizer division. Bids close on Tuesday, the FT said.
Pfizer has said since the start of the year that it's considering selling or spinning off its consumer-products division, which markets such popular brands as Lubriderm, Sudafed and Listerine.
Pfizer Vice Chairman David Shedlarz earlier in the year said the division, whose 2005 revenue totaled nearly $4 billion, could have a market value of more than $10 billion.
Company Web sites:
www.pfizer.com/
www.gsk.com/ -London Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9320;
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